http://www.cnn.com/2005/SPORT/02/08/britain.macarthur/index.html
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Who needs 80 days, an astounding achievment!
The French guy she took the record from didn’t apparently use any high-tech weather forecasting gear in his record. He maintains that was a mistake though.
I read a book about the “Around Alone” sialiboat race in which sailors race around the world alone, unsupported, non-stop.
It was the most extreme race I’ve ever heard of. On sailor disappeared, never to be heard from again, one committed suicide and I think only three, or was it six? finished intact. There were several dramatic rescues in the open ocean in Antarctic waters too, thousands of miles from land.
Imagine a sport so demanding and dangerous the competitiors resort to suicide. And we think what we do is tough…
“Since beginning the 27,000 mile voyage on November 28 MacArthur has slept an average of 30 minutes at a time and four hours in any day.”
Incredible, thanks for sharing Tom. Aside from the physical challenge, I can’t really begin to imagine the mental strength this woman has…really astounding.
B-
Extreme endurance indeed.
I guess that it is all relative. I recall interviewing one of the competitors from the first Eco-Challenge a few years ago, for a story I was working on for the second Eco-Challenge in Whistler that year. We were talking about this and that. He asked me if I had ever done any endurance racing or adventure racing. I told him that I had done a few Ironman triathlons. His response to that: “Just Ironman”!!
Fleck
Any long distance solo sailing trip is amazing but RACING alone for 79 days is incredible. I’ve done just enough sailing to know that there would have been 100’s of decisions a day, big and small, she would have had to have made to keep going as fast as possible. Many of them would have required a choice between relative safety and ease and some grueling uncomfortable and dangerous work.
Beating that inevitable urge to just rest a just little longer or play it just a little safer and doing it 24/7 for 2 1/2 months without a break is an amazing feat.
Man she’s awesome. She’s tiny but full of fire. Her ship absolutely rocks as well. I’d love to have it on my lake. That gal surely has the mental aspect all together. Impressive. I’d love to meet her. Anyone know where exactly she’s from?
Hey Fleck, I did that race!! Team number 39, Team Phoenix from the U.S. Air Force. we were another victim of the “mountain storm” but we did beat the Navy SEALs, well, kinda- they lost their female competitor and actually helped us out by sharing food, which was technically against race rules.
Anyway, great race.
Tom,
I hope that you were not the guy who gave me the “Just Ironman” line!!
The back-country around Whistler is amazing. I have some very fond memories of a number of high alpine trips/treks in the area.
Fleck
The most amazing thing… Aside from the fact she is one of if not the best offshore sailor in the world at only 28… Is that after many, many attempts only two sailboats have gone around the world faster. Both of those boats were 50 feet longer (ie faster) than Ellen’s boat, and each had a full crew of about 10 VERY experienced offshore professional sailors, who were actively sailing the boat 24 hours a day. To do what she did as well as well as she did it, is absolutely amazing.
The funny part is that when Francis Joyon (the French guy) set the new record last year (taking about 25 days off the previous record - about 25%) word was that record would stand for years if not decades. Or 1 year!!!
I sometimes wonder if part of her success is simply the ability to function better than the rest on a tiny amount of sleep. They all sleep very little in these races, but she seems to be able to keep things together and not make mistakes while making critical decisions day after day after day.
There is another around the world sailboat race taking place right now (www.vendeeglobe.org) on slightly smaller/slower boats. 20 started… So far 10 have dropped out. That gives you an idea of how tough these races are.
Nope, that wasn’t me. In the 1999 OLN boradcast of the Marathon des Sables there is a sound bite of me at the beginning saying, “I have done Ironman, Eco-Challenge and other- this race is harder…”
They cought me at a weak moment.
FYI
Her boat was made out of carbon fiber.
Ellen Rocks! She is also the youngest and only woman to win the Vendee Globe singlehanded around the world race.
First post on the forum and thought (as an Englishman) I’d take the opportunity to tell you she’s from my home county of Derbyshire which is one of the fe in the UK to be totally landlocked and have no sailing scene whatsoever. Apparently bought her first boat with saved school money!
First post on the forum and thought (as an Englishman) I’d take the opportunity to tell you she’s from my home county of Derbyshire which is one of the fe in the UK to be totally landlocked and have no sailing scene whatsoever. Apparently bought her first boat with saved school money!
She lived in it and rebuilt it herself to prepare for one her first solo races which I think she won. She is amazing.
If you guys haven’t read it, I’d highly recommend “A Voyage for Madmen” or something like that. It’s about the people in the first around the world solo races. I’m not much of a sailor but even I could appreciate it. Unbelievable stuff.
hello Ed,
for the record, she was second to MichDes - sorry, but I´m not sure how to spell his name - last time round in the Vendee Globe. MichDes was sailing the boat PRB, which won again this time with another skipper.
At the time she was youngest and fastest woman around the world non-stop, but came second in the race.
That said, yes, Ellen is something special. Her determination is very unusual.
J
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hello Tom,
the Around Alone has stops. It should be called the 5 Oceans next time. I think that you mean the Vendee Globe.
Both events have had a number of disasters and improbable rescues over the years.
There were a number of good books out of the first Globe, which was before racing went high-tech.
The Long Route, by Bernard Moitessier, perhaps the best sailing book ever.
The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst, which is probably the suicide you are referring to.
There was also a book by Robin Knox-Johnston, who won the race after Moitessier decided to quit. Moitessier decided he didn´t want to finish, so went half way round the world again before stopping.
There is a new book out by Emma Richards, who came 4th in the last Around Alone. I haven´t read it.
J