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Ellen MacArthur prepares
for the race of her life
Record number of entries for
Europe1 New Man single-handed
transatlantic race
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Ellen MacArthur and her new Open
60 Kingfisher will be among a record number of Open 60 monohulls to compete
in this year's TRANSAT.
Picture courtesy of Thierry
Martinez
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By Mark Turner of Offshore
Challenges
Starting on June 4th, the Europe1 New Man single-handed transatlantic race,
promises to be one of the most spectacular and competitive sporting events this
year bringing the very best solo sailors together - including the very best from
the previously unchallenged French racing scene. Close to a hundred yachts and
skippers will race from Plymouth (UK) to Newport, Rhode Island (USA) - 2,800
miles of top-level competition, gruelling non-stop racing, 24 hours a day.
Alone.
The upcoming transatlantic race is the only qualifier for this winter's Vendée
Globe singlehanded non-stop round the World race [starts November 2000 from
France]. The Vendée is the race made famous by the dramatic rescue by Pete Goss
of a french competitor, and the survival of Tony Bullimore after his capsize in
the Southern Ocean. The fact that it is a qualifier for the Vendée, has
meant that there will be a record-breaking fleet of 25 Class 1 60 foot Grand
Prix raceboats on the start line of the transatlantic race.
Ellen MacArthur and her newly launched 'Kingfisher' is one of the skippers
preparing herself for battle in the North Atlantic. Ellen, at just 23, is the
youngest professional skipper in the race and will be competing for the first
time in her custom built Open 60, named 'Kingfisher' after her sponsor,
Kingfisher plc.
Whilst lacking the tactical experience possessed by many of the other skippers,
Ellen certainly has some good miles under her belt having just arrived in Europe
after sailing 'Kingfisher' back from New Zealand. The first part of the 12,000
mile trip across the treacherous Southern Ocean was with a small expert crew.
After a pitstop at Cape Horn, she 'went solo' and sailed back up across the
Atlantic alone, a remarkable feat in its own right.
"I feel very comfortable onboard 'Kingfisher' now. I know her very well,
and we've together learnt an enormous amount in the past 12,000 miles - being
able to do that trip was a key reason for building her in New Zealand. We were
one of the last new 60s to be built, but we have as many miles under our belt as
the others now, albeit not in competition"
There is an extensive list of work resulting from the long trip back, and
despite a determined team not all of it will be completed in time for the start.
Ellen explains the project's philosophy for this next stage. "We're very
much starting this race as if we were mid way through the Vendée Globe. I've
now sailed half the course, and we've not changed much of the gear even where it
is worn. We want to learn as much as we can about the wear and tear that occurs
in the second half of a Vendée rather than optimise for this race. At the end
of the day the other important thing will be for me to get some more race
experience on my own - I'm expecting to make some big mistakes and learn some
hard lessons!"
A key area of progress for Ellen has been in the weather and associated
strategy. Identified as a weak point, she spent a lot of time at sea working
with meteorology guru Jean Yves Bernot on understanding the met information, and
making strategic decisions as if in a race. It is an area where experience and
further time with Jean-Yves will certainly pay for the Vendée.
"Realistically for me, if we can make it to the finish line in good shape
I'll be happy. If I can sail well, I think I can make the top ten - and that
would be fantastic. It is amazing for me to have this chance to be racing all
these top skippers" grins Ellen.
The current record for a monohull has been held since 1992 by Yves Parlier (Cacolac
Aquitaine) and stands at 14 days and six hours, compared to Sir Francis
Chichester's time in the first race in 1960 (Gipsy Moth III) - a mammoth 40 days
12 hours and 30 minutes.
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