Ellen MacArthur

Dame Ellen Patricia MacArthur, DBE (born July 8, 1976) is an English sailor from Whatstandwell near Matlock in Derbyshire, now based in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. She is best known as a solo long-distance yachtswoman who, on February 7, 2005, broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe. Image File history File links Description: Ellen MacArthur à Saint-Malo au départ de la Route du Rhum 2002 Source: French Wikipedia: fr:Image:Ellen McArthur RdR2002. ... Image File history File links Description: Ellen MacArthur à Saint-Malo au départ de la Route du Rhum 2002 Source: French Wikipedia: fr:Image:Ellen McArthur RdR2002. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Three types of mariners are seen here in the wheelhouse: a master, an able seaman, and a harbour pilot. ... Whatstandwell is a village on the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. ... Matlock is the County town of Derbyshire, England. ... Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. ... This article is about the town on the Isle of Wight. ... The Isle of Wight is an English island and county, off the southern English coast, to the south of the county of Hampshire, between the Solent and the English Channel. ... Yachting is a physical activity involving boats. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “Round the world” redirects here. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ...

Early life

She acquired her early interest in sailing by reading Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons books and is the Patron of the Nancy Blackett Trust^[1] which owns and operates Ransome's yacht, Nancy Blackett. She saved her school dinner money in order to buy her first boat. For either of the songs named Sailing, see Sailing (song). ... Cover of Arthur Ransomes autobiography Arthur Mitchell Ransome (January 18, 1884 – June 3, 1967), was a British author and journalist, best known for writing the Swallows and Amazons series of childrens books, which tell of school-holiday adventures of children, mostly in the Lake District and the Norfolk... Swallows and Amazons is a series of childrens books by English author Arthur Ransome, named after the title of the first book in the series. ... Nancy Blackett is a 28 feet long, 7 ton, Bermuda rigged Hillyard sailing cutter built in 1931 and now owned and operated by The Nancy Blackett Trust. ...

She was named 1998 British Telecom/Royal Yachting Association "Yachtsman of The Year" in the UK and "Sailing's Young Hope" in France. Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... BT Group plc (which trades as just BT, and is commonly known by its former name, British Telecom) is the privatised former British state telecommunications operator. ... The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the UKs recognised national association for sailing, windsurfing, motor cruising, sportsboats, personal watercraft and powerboat racing. ...

Racing career

She first came to general prominence in 2001 when she came second in the Vendée Globe solo round-the-world sailing race in her boat Kingfisher (named after her sponsors, Kingfisher plc), and subsequently MacArthur was awarded an MBE for services to sport. Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The Vendée Globe is a round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed non-stop and without assistance. ... Kingfisher plc is a UK-based international retailer, which has owned a wide variety of retail chains in its history but is now focused on the DIY business. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander...

In 2003 she captained a round-the-world record attempt for a crewed yacht in Kingfisher 2, but was thwarted by a broken mast in the Southern Ocean. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Her latest yacht, named B&Q/Castorama (after two companies in the Kingfisher group) and unveiled in January 2004, was specially designed by Nigel Irens and Benoit Cabaret for her to break solo records. The 75-foot (23-metre) trimaran was built in Australia, with many of the components specifically arranged to take into account MacArthur's 5 foot 2 inch (1.57 m) height. B&Q is a British retailer of DIY and home improvement tools and supplies. ... Castorama is a French retailer of DIY and home improvement tools and supplies. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nigel Irens is a leading yacht designer. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Photograph of an Orma 60 trimaran in Sandhamn before the Round Gotland Race 2005 A trimaran is a multihull boat consisting of a main hull (vaka) and two smaller outrigger hulls (amas), attached to the main hull with lateral struts (akas). ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

Using the yacht, her first significant record attempt in 2004 to break the west–east transatlantic crossing time failed by around one and a quarter hours, after over seven days of sailing. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

She began her attempt to break the solo record for sailing non-stop around the world on November 28, 2004. During her circumnavigation, she set records for the fastest solo voyage to the equator, past the Cape of Good Hope, past Cape Horn and back to the equator again. She crossed the finishing line near the French coast at Ushant at 2229 UTC on February 7, 2005 beating the previous record set by French sailor Francis Joyon by 1 day, 8 hours, 35 minutes, 49 seconds. is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... World map showing the equator in red In tourist areas, the equator is often marked on the sides of roads The equator marked as it crosses Ilhéu das Rolas, in São Tomé and Príncipe. ... The Cape of Good Hope; looking towards the west, from the coastal cliffs above Cape Point. ... Cape Horn from the South. ... Ushant (in French Ouessant, in Breton Enez Eusa) is an island in the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of European France. ... “UTC” redirects here. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... In February 2004 Francis Joyon became the fastest world solo yachtsman, setting a time over 20 days faster than the previous record for a circumnavigation of 72 days 22 hours and 54 minutes and 22 seconds of covering more than 28,000 miles at an average speed of 15. ...

On her return to England on February 8, 2005, it was announced that she was to be made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of that achievement, becoming, it is believed, the youngest ever recipient of this honour. Coming immediately as it did (rather than appearing in due course in the New Year's or Birthday honours lists), this recognition was reminiscent of the knighthoods conferred upon Sir Francis Drake and Sir Francis Chichester upon arrival home after their respective circumnavigations in 1580 and 1967. MacArthur was also made an honorary Lieutenant Commander of the Royal Naval Reserve on the same day. is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A statue of an armoured knight of the Middle Ages For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... Sir Francis Drake, c. ... Sir Francis Chichester, (born September 17, 1901, Barnstaple, Devon, England – died August 26, 1972, Plymouth, Devon) was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his achievement of sailing solo around the world in only nine months and one day. ... Events March 1 - Michel de Montaigne signs the preface to his most significant work, Essays. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... In the Royal Navy, United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, a lieutenant commander (lieutenant-commander or Lt Cdr in the RN) is a commissioned officer superior to a lieutenant and inferior to a commander. ... “RNR” redirects here. ...

Records

In June 2000, MacArthur sailed the monohull Kingfisher from Plymouth, UK to Newport, Rhode Island, USA in 14 days, 23 hours, 11 minutes. This is the current record for a single-handed monohull east-to-west passage, and also the record for a single-handed woman in any vessel.^[2] 2000 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December This is a timeline for events in June, 2000. ... , Plymouth (Cornish: ) is a city of 243,795 inhabitants (2001 census) in the south-west of England, or alternatively the West Country, and is situated within the traditional and ceremonial county of Devon at the mouths of the rivers Plym and Tamar and at the head of one of the... Newport is a city in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. ... A boat sails by her self-steering system as the skipper tends her sails, while sailing in fine conditions off Key West. ...

MacArthur's second place in the 2000-2001 edition of the Vendée Globe, with a time of 94 days, 4 hours and 25 minutes, is the world record for a single-handed, non-stop, monohull circumnavigation by a woman.^[3] Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The Vendée Globe is a round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed non-stop and without assistance. ...

In June 2004, MacArthur sailed her trimaran B&Q/Castorama from Ambrose Light, Lower New York Bay, USA to Lizard Point, Cornwall, UK in 7 days, 3 hours, 50 minutes. This set a new world record for a transatlantic crossing by women, remarkably beating the previous crewed record as well as the singlehanded version.^[4] 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also: June 2004 in sports Deaths in June • 28 Anthony Buckeridge • 26 Naomi Shemer • 26 Yash Johar • 22 Bob Bemer • 22 Thomas Gold • 22 Francisco Ortiz Franco • 16 Thanom Kittikachorn • 10 Ray Charles • 5 Ronald Reagan... Ambrose Light, often called Ambrose Tower, marks the convergence of several main shipping lanes in Lower New York Bay; Ambrose Channel, the main deep water shipping channel into New York Harbor, to its North; Nantucket-Ambrose Shipping Lane, the main shipping lane between Boston and New York, to its East... Lizard Point in Cornwall is the southernmost tip of the Lizard Peninsula. ...

In 2005, MacArthur set a new world record for a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation in the trimaran B&Q/Castorama, during which she sailed 27,354 nautical miles (50,660 km) at an average speed of 15.9 knots. Her time of 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes 33 seconds is the fastest ever circumnavigation of the world by a single-hander.^[5] Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A knot is a unit of speed abbreviated kt or kn. ...

Criticism

MacArthur’s achievements have not escaped criticism. In particular, critics emphasise the vast, near incomparable differences in the technological capabilities of present-day sailing vessels such as those used by MacArthur against those used by previous record holders. For instance, it has been argued that it is unfair for MacArthur's round-the-world feat to be compared with that of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who was the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world — using a vessel constructed over 35 years previously. Knox-Johnston himself contrasted his round-the-world voyage in 1968–69 (the first non-stop solo circumnavigation) and MacArthur's thus: "My boat, Suhaili, was small and wooden, MacArthur's boat is three times as long as mine, half as heavy and has sails three or four times larger. To navigate, I had a sextant and a chronometer. The equipment had changed very little since Captain Cook's time. MacArthur has GPS, which updates every three seconds, telling you where you are, what speed you are doing and what direction you're going in. You don't need to navigate."^[6][7] Robin Knox-Johnston finishing his circumnavigation of the world in Suhaili as the winner of the Golden Globe Race Sir William Robert Pat Robin Knox-Johnston, CBE, RD and bar (born 17 March 1939) was the first man to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the Earth and... A sextant is a measuring instrument generally used to measure the angle of elevation of a celestial object above the horizon. ... A chronometer is a timekeeper precise enough to be used as a portable time standard, usually in order to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation. ... British explorer James Cook is most noted for having discovered Australia and Hawaii. ... Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ... There are several traditions of navigation. ...

Additional criticism stems for the argument that MacArthur’s accomplishments, achieved within the highly exclusive world of power yachting, are motivated predominantly by self-promotion. In addition to her growing fame and the Damehood conferred upon her after her round-the-world voyage (aged 28), MacArthur earned, by the estimation of UK’s Daily Mail newspaper, at least five million pounds (approximately eleven million US dollars) in the subsequent year. Her boat, in a example of very direct marketing, was actually named B&Q, after the name of a chain of home hardware stores in the UK that sponsored her journey. Allied to this is the criticism and ridicule MacArthur has faced for what some perceive as her overly emotional disposition and tendency to habitually "moan" and "whine" about her circumstances whilst sailing. Her temperament is something that forms the central basis for her caricature on the BBC satirical comedy show Dead Ringers. Bob Fisher, the Guardian's sailing correspondent, commented that “Ellen is a difficult person to empathise with. She moans and whinges the whole bloody time, so many people, quite understandably, are of the opinion that, given that she knew what was in store for her, she should just shut up and get on with it...[there] are a lot of people in the professional sailing contingent who wouldn't sail across the Solent with her. They feel what she does is sailing by numbers – it's a mechanical achievement rather than a skilful one.”^[8][9] The Daily Mail is a British newspaper and the oldest tabloid, first published in 1896. ... B&Q is a British retailer of DIY and home improvement tools and supplies. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... A dead ringer is slang for a doppelgänger. ... Robert James Bobby Fischer (born March 9, 1943) is a former world chess champion, and the only American to win the FIDE world chess championship. ... Satellite image showing the Solent, separating the Isle of Wight from mainland Britain The Solent is a stretch of sea separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of Great Britain. ...

Popular culture

MacArthur was also the last record holder on Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car on the BBC's Top Gear television driving programme until season 8, when the rules were changed, and previous records were removed.^[10] The competition was a timed lap of a racetrack in a Suzuki Liana. She completed the lap in 1 minute 46.7 seconds, beating Jimmy Carr by 0.2 seconds. Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car is a recurring segment on the BBC Two motoring programme Top Gear. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... The current format of Top Gear is a BAFTA[1] and Emmy Award-winning BBC television series about motor vehicles, mainly cars. ... 2002 Suzuki Aerio sedan Suzuki Aerio wagon The Suzuki Aerio (called the Liana in Europe) is a car built by Suzuki Motor Corporation for the lower midsize segment in the Japanese and European markets and for the subcompact segment in the North American market. ... James Jimmy Anthony Patrick Carr (born September 15, 1972) is an English comedian known for his deadpan, satirical humour. ...

Trivia

• She is fluent in French.

References

1. ^ http://www.nancyblackett.org/
2. ^ WSSRC Ratified Passage Records — "Transatlantic E to W, Plymouth – Newport, monohull and woman any vessel", from the World Sailing Speed Record Council
3. ^ WSSRC Ratified Passage Records — "Round the World, non stop, singlehanded, woman, Vendée Globe", from the World Sailing Speed Record Council
4. ^ WSSRC Ratified Passage Records — "Transatlantic W to E outright women, and singlehanded woman", from the World Sailing Speed Record Council
5. ^ WSSRC Ratified Passage Records — "Round the World, non stop, singlehanded", from the World Sailing Speed Record Council
6. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/sailing/4245577.stm
7. ^ http://sport.guardian.co.uk/sailing/story/0,10087,1407921,00.html
8. ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20050801/ai_n14828139
9. ^ http://sport.guardian.co.uk/sailing/story/0,10087,1407921,00.html
10. ^ Old Top Gear Celebrity Laps

The World Sailing Speed Record Council, founded in 1972, is the body authorized by the International Sailing Federation (formerly International Yacht Racing Union) to confirm speed records of sailing crafts (boats or sailboards) on water (not on ice or land). ... The World Sailing Speed Record Council, founded in 1972, is the body authorized by the International Sailing Federation (formerly International Yacht Racing Union) to confirm speed records of sailing crafts (boats or sailboards) on water (not on ice or land). ... The World Sailing Speed Record Council, founded in 1972, is the body authorized by the International Sailing Federation (formerly International Yacht Racing Union) to confirm speed records of sailing crafts (boats or sailboards) on water (not on ice or land). ... The World Sailing Speed Record Council, founded in 1972, is the body authorized by the International Sailing Federation (formerly International Yacht Racing Union) to confirm speed records of sailing crafts (boats or sailboards) on water (not on ice or land). ...

External links

• Ellen MacArthur website
• Dame Ellen MacArthur Trust Website — The Trust's aim is to support, empower and enliven children suffering from cancer or leukaemia by introducing them to the joys of sailing on the sea.
• Nancy Blackett Trust Website
• Biography on BBC site
• BBC News article: MacArthur sails into record books
• WSSRC — World Sailing Speed Record Council
• Ellen MacArthur World Record Photo Gallery
• Sunday Times article