Key dates in MacArthur's race

By CNN.com writer Avril Stephens

No round-the-world sailor can expect to complete the Vendee Global event, arguably the toughest solo yacht race, without experiencing a number of setbacks.

The boats go through a battering during the 26,000-mile race through the Southern Ocean, around Cape Horn and back through the Atlantic.

Ellen MacArthur's solo Open 60 yacht, called Kingfisher, set sail with 20 other boats from the Biscay port of Les Sables-d'Olonne on November 5.

During the next 100 days all the yachtsmen faced the problems of wild seas, too much wind, too little wind, icebergs, broken boat parts, exhaustion, and dehydrated food.

MacArthur, 24, has kept a steady stream of information coming through on her story via e-mail and satellite phone. Here are some of the some incidents and milestones from her journey: