| Name |
Ellen MacArthur |
| Date of Birth |
27949 |
| Where were you born? |
Derby, Great Britain |
| Age started sailing |
4 |
| Age started racing |
20 |
| What inspired you to take up sailing? |
A family holiday on Norfolk Broads with my Aunt |
| How did you buy your first boat? |
By saving up my school dinner money |
| Which was your first sailing club? |
None in particular, but I was taught sailing early on in Hull |
| First boat sailed? |
Small cruising yacht on the East Coast |
| First boat raced? |
Various Open 50's & 60's, first solo race was mini transat in 1996 |
| First Event competed in? |
Quebec - St Malo race, crew on Italian Open 60 |
| First Event won? |
1998 Round Britain and Ireland race, 2 handed open 50 |
| Principle achievements? |
1995 BT/YJA Young Sailor of the Year |
| Principle achievements? |
1997 Mini Transat |
| Principle achievements? |
1998 Route du Rhum , 1st in class |
| Principle achievements? |
1998 Round Britain and Ireland 2 up 1st in class |
| Principle achievements? |
2000 Europe 1 New Man Star Single Handed Transatlantic |
| Principle achievements? |
200-2001 Vendee Globe, 2nd |
| Principle achievements? |
2001 EDS Atlantic Challenge as Co-Skipper, 1st |
| Detail the personal highlights of your sailing career to date? |
The Vendee Globe was the most amazing experience of my life |
| Future sailing aspirations? |
To continue to learn, sail faster, sail on 2 and 3 hulls rather than 1, beat records and definitely tread the path of the round the world race track a few more times yet. Most of all to continue to enjoy the challenge of the Oceans |
| Briefly state what sailing means to you? |
As above |
| Who's had the greatest impact or inspiration in your sailing career and why? |
When I was a kid I used to sit around reading books about the great solo sailors of the past like Slocum, Knox-Johnston, Chichester etc |
| Who do you consider to be your sailing hero if any? |
Hard to pick just one, if I have to Sir Francis Chichester |
| Profession? |
Professional Sailor |
| What other sports do you participate in outside of sailing? |
I don’t really have time for anything else but I love to be outdoors, I run, swim, walk, climb |
| Who do you consider to be the greatest sailor in the World and why? |
Again its tough to pick one person. In modern day racing, I'd have to pick Sir Peter Blake for his Whitbread and America's Cup achievements - a very complete set of goals attained. Eric Tabarly would equally get my vote - someone who transformed the image of sailing |
| Briefly state what being nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award 2001 means to you? |
I'm quite flattered. I have really just been following my dream, my goals. I've been lucky to have a great team around me and that is key. Any nomination is a reflection of that team and the numerous people that have supported me in the past few years |
| If voted as the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2001, briefly say what will this mean to you? |
As above |
This extraordinary sailor proved that size doesn't matter by trouncing all, except the winner, in the Vendée Globe to become the fastest single-handed female circumnavigator (second fastest ever), completing the Vendée in 94 days in her Open 60 'Kingfisher', breaking the previous record by just over 30 days, having sailed 25,870 nautical miles. Ellen went on to be co-skipper of the winning boat in the EDS Atlantic Challenge (a five-leg race including trans-atlantic) and the Challenge Mondial Assistance.
Torgersson_227.jpg)
