December 12, 2024
Ellen MacArthur  (Photo by George Bekris)
Ellen MacArthur (Photo by George Bekris)

2007

• June 2007: Took line honours in JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island in new high-tech Extreme 40 catamaran. Crossed the line just after 0818 hours, completing the course in 4 hours 6 minutes 3 seconds.

2005
• Feb 2005 – Sets a new solo non-stop round the world record of 71 Days, 14 hours, 18 minutes, 33 seconds (on board 75ft Trimaran B&Q)
• New SNSM (St Nazaire to St Malo) crewed maxi record set on board B&Q. New record stands 1 Day, 3 hours. 23 minutes, 29 seconds.
• 2nd Transat Jacques Vabre 2005 with Roland Jourdain (aka Bilou) on board Open 60 Sill et Veolia

2004
* January – Launch of new 75-foot B&Q trimaran on 8.1.04 in Sydney, Australia.
* March-April – Delivery trip of new trimaran from New Zealand via Australia and the Falklands Islands. Leaving the delivery crew at the Falklands, Ellen sailed B&Q solo to New York.
* June – Solo transatlantic record attempt on board B&Q missing the record by just 75 minutes in a time of 7 days, 3 hours, 49 minutes, 57 seconds.
• November – Departs 28.11.04 at 0810GMT on solo round the world record attempt onboard the 75ft trimaran B&Q. Finishes at 22:29:17GMTT on 7.2.05 setting a new record of 71 days, 14 hours, 18 mins and 33 secs taking 8 hours, 35 mins and 49 secs off the previous record time of Francis Joyon. B&Q sailed 27,354 miles at an average speed of 15.9 knots.

2002
* January – Ellen MacArthur and Kingfisher plc announce five year plan to include Jules Verne record attempt and culminating in the solo Route du Rhum race in November 2006.
* 9-23 November – Route du Rhum solo transatlantic race from St Malo to Guadeloupe on board ‘Kingfisher’. Result: 1st in Open 60 class (13 days, 13 hours, 31 mins, 47 secs) setting a new monohull record.

2001
* May – Challenge Mondial Assistance on board 60ft trimaran ‘Foncia-Kingfisher’ with co-skipper Alain Gautier.
* 3 July-25 August – EDS Atlantic Challenge crewed five leg race from St Malo with stops at Hamburg, Portsmouth, Baltimore, Boston on board ‘Kingfisher’ with co-skipper Nick Moloney. Result: 1st place overall.

Also on 60ft trimaran KINGFISHER-FONCIA during 2001 season:
* 30 April-5 May – Trophee Coralia at Fecamp. Result: 2nd19-24 June – Sardinia Grand Prix.
* 30 Aug-2 September – Fecamp Grand Prix. Result: 1st.
* 11-16 September – Zebrugge Grand Prix. Result: 2nd.
* 4th November – Transat Jacques Vabre two-handed transatlantic race from Le Havre to Salvador de Bahia, Brazil with co-skipper Alain Gautier. Result: 2nd in the ORMA 60 class.

 

1998
* February – Teamed up with Mark Turner at Offshore Challenges.
* November – Route du Rhum solo transatlantic race from St Malo to Guadeloupe on board Open 50ft monohull ‘Kingfisher’. Result: 1st in Open 50 class (20 days, 11 hours, 44 mins, 49 secs).

1997
* Mini Transat single-handed transatlantic race in 26-foot boats. Result: 17th overall.

1996
* First transatlantic passage leaving Newport, Rhode Island (USA) on Ellen’s 20th birthday.
* First transatlantic race in the Quebec-St Malo. Result: 3rd in class.

1995
* BT/YJA Young Sailor of Year award.
* Sailed ‘Iduna’ single-handed around Great Britain.

1994
* Debut into full-time yachting, working on an Open 60ft yacht and teaching sailing to adults at the David King Nautical School in Hull.
* Achieved RYA Yachtmaster and Instructor’s ticket, aged 18 (exceptionally young).

Pre-1994
*Aged four, began sailing with aunt on ‘Cabaret’, all spare time reading sailing books.
* Started saving school dinner money at the age of eight to buy her first boat.
* First boat at 13 (‘Threpenny Bit’, dinghy), second at 15 (‘Kestrel’, small keelboat), then third at 17 (‘Iduna’, 21-foot Corribee).

Accolades

. BT/YJA Young Sailor of the Year January 1995
. ISAF World Champion election of Woman Sailor of the Year by 113 sailing Federations throughout the world. Awarded 14.11.01
. “The Cup of the Chief of Staff of the French Navy” awarded 30.11.01
. FICO World Champion ranked by number of points obtained in the year’s ocean races awarded 7.12.01
. BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards overall runner-up (2nd place to David Beckham) plus ‘Helen Rollason Award’ awarded 9.12.01
. ‘Sunday Times Woman of the Year’ awarded 11.12.01
. MBE awarded 12.12.01 at Buckingham Palace by Queen
. Nomination for the title of “Femme en Or” (“Golden Woman”) sport-adventure in France election on 15.12.01
. YJA Yachtsman of the Year January 2002
. Listed in Time magazine 100 Heroes & Icons 2005
. DBE awarded 24.04.05 at Buckingham Palace by Queen
. Alternative Sportsperson of the Year 2005 – Laureus Sports Awards, May 2005
. ISAF Female Sailor of the Year 2005
. BBC South Yachtsperson of the Year 2005
. BBC East Midlands Sportswoman and Sports Personality of the Year 2005
. BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards overall runner-up (2nd place to Andrew Flintoff) December 2005

error: Content is protected !!