Record yachtswoman ready to sail again

LES SABLES D'OLONNE, France -- Solo sailor Ellen MacArthur is planning her next adventure less than 24 hours after becoming the fastest woman to sail round the world single-handed.

The 24-year-old British yachtswoman crossed the finishing line to a hero's welcome in the Vendee Globe round-the-world yacht race.

After just three hours' sleep, she awoke to the clamour of the world's press and announced she would compete in the Atlantic challenge race in July.

GALLERY Pictures from the yacht race     ALSO Landmarks of MacArthur's race Quotes from Ellen MacArthur

She will again be using her yacht Kingfisher -- but this time with a crew, she said as she recovered from her exertions in what is arguably the toughest of all round the world races.

Competitors in the Atlantic Challenge have to sail from Europe to the United States and take part in several legs off the American continent before returning to Europe.

MacArthur, who is just 5ft 2ins (1.52 metres) tall, finished second in the Vendee Globe, but in doing so set major milestones in sailing.

As well as becoming the fastest woman to sail around the globe, she became the youngest-ever finisher in the Vendee race, and only the second person to sail round the world solo in less than 100 days.

Flares lit up the sky and horns sounded as Ellen, completed what is arguably the toughest round-the-world yacht race.

She described her reception at the French port of Les Sables d'Olonne as "mind blowing."

And she said it was the hundreds of e-mails she received daily on her voyage, some from Buckingham Palace, that kept her going during the toughest moments of her journey.

"In those low moments it is the e-mails from people living the race with me that really gave me encouragement," she said.

She said was looking forward to going back to her parents home in the landlocked English county of Derbyshire in the next few days, but said she wanted to stay in France to perhaps see some more of the Vendee competitors finish the race.

Of the original 23 competitors that set out on November, 15 are still out at sea. Frenchman Michel Desjoyeaux finished first, arriving one day before her.

MacArthur broke down on a couple of occasions as she told how her trip had been for many people.

She became particularly emotional when talking about a French charity with which she is involved which that takes children with leukaemia out sailing.

"You're not doing it for you, you are doing it for them -- to see the smiles on their faces is amazing," she said.

She said could face another Vendee Globe race, despite the dramas and dangers of the past three months.

On her journey she has had to face the icy Southern Ocean, treacherous Cape Horn and the expanse of the Atlantic, taking her sleep in 15 minute bursts.

Ellen hangs precariously from the 100-feet-high mast

Several times she has had to climb her yacht's 30-metre (90ft) high mast in storm-tossed seas to carry out essential repairs.

"If the race was to start again tomorrow I would not hesitate going out there again," she added.

MacArthur spoke with great affection of her New Zealand built 60-foot yacht, Kingfisher. "In the last 12 months I have spent six months at sea with Kingfisher, mostly alone," she said.

"I feel she is a person and has a personality and she has her good bits and bad bits, like every single person.

"I have done everything to look after her and it seems she has done a pretty good job of looking after me too."

She said she had received an e-mail from someone which summed up what it was like to survive and complete one of the world's toughest races.

It read: "Courage is not having the energy to go on, it's going on when you do not have the energy." Ellen added: "And that's true."

Yachtswoman sails to solo record
February 12, 2001
Frenchman sails to victory
February 11, 2001
Sailor Ellen MacArthur making waves
February 9, 2001
Key dates in MacArthur's race
February 9, 2001
Quotes from Ellen MacArthur
February 9, 2001

Ellen MacArthur's Web site
Kingfisher Challenge 2000
Atlantic Challenge Cup

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