07.12.2004
ELLEN MACARTHUR : SOLO ROUND THE WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT
* EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE ON THE HIGH SEAS YESTERDAY FOR ELLEN MACARTHUR ON BOARD HER 75-FOOT TRIMARAN B&Q...JUST A FEW HOURS BEFORE SETTING A NEW SOLO TIME ACROSS THE EQUATOR...
* A FIRST FOR ELLEN, NEVER WITNESSED BEFORE IN ALL HER MILES AROUND THE WORLD...
* TWO ROYAL NAVY SHIPS CAME WITHIN A MILE OF ELLEN AND A HELICOPTER FLEW OVER TO TAKE THESE UNIQUE IMAGES & ELLEN DID THE SAME!
Further info at http://www.teamellen.com
IN DETAIL:
Not only setting a new time to the Equator of 8 days, 18 hours and 20 minutes, Ellen had another extraordinary experience yesterday afternoon... The Royal Navy's frigate HMS Iron Duke and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker RFA Gold Rover, rendezvoused with Ellen just north of the Equator at approx 1700 GMT and a Lynx helicopter from HMS Iron Duke 'buzzed' past Ellen to take a few aerial shots... "It was so unbelievable - this has never happened to me before. One ship was to port and one to starboard - I chatted with the captain for a while, then they peeled away and carried on there way home. I felt really emotional once they had gone..." Sailing alone on the world's oceans, hundreds or thousands of miles from land, it is rare to see any birdlife and it is equally unique to have visual contact with another boat or ship. The two ships, enroute from the Falkland Islands via Brazil had been closely monitoring Ellen's progress, came within a mile of the trimaran B&Q and the ships company came on deck to cheer and wave.
Ellen MacArthur, onboard her 75-foot trimaran B&Q, has set a new solo time to
the Equator of 8 days, 18 hours, 20 minutes.
MacArthur crossed the Equator
into the southern hemisphere at 0230 GMT this morning (7.12.04) and
subsequently took 14 hours and 3 minutes off the previous fastest solo time
of 9 days, 8 hours, 23 minutes set by French sailor, Francis Joyon, during
his successful solo around the world record attempt. Joyon crossed the
Equator on day 9 of his round the world tour on 1st December 2003, he then
went on to set a new solo round the world record time of 72 days, 22 hours,
54 minutes and 22 seconds - that is the record Ellen MacArthur is now trying
to beat.
Ellen MacArthur started her solo attempt on 28.11.04 at 08:10:44 GMT and
since crossing the start line has battled 40+ knots of wind in a low pressure
system off the Spanish/Portuguese coast and in the last 48 hours has crossed
the volatile region known as the Doldrums that sit just north of the Equator.
Now she faces the next massive weather obstacle - the St Helena High - that
can stretch thousands of miles across the South Atlantic blocking the way
through to the Southern Ocean.
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Royal Navy Frigget HMS Iron Duke und B&Q
Foto: Royal Navy
Eine hautnahe Begegnung auf hoher See
Foto: Royal Navy
Die Piloten wollen Ellen lächeln sehen
Foto: Royal Navy
Royal Navy Helicopter grüßt Ellen am Äquator
Foto: Ellen MacArthur/Offshore Challenges
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