Ellen Update

For the technically minded

Late January found Ellen MacArthur, record breaking skipper, just 85 miles, the equivalent of six hours off first place in the Vendee Globe 2001 the world's most gruelling single handed round the world event. Ellen had gained over 500 miles since the beginning of the month. MacArthur, at 24, is in her first year of major event independent racing. Apparently her first ambition was to be a vet, but the string of awards she has amassed since starting sailing at the age of 18, has proved inspirational to a whole new generation of skippers. 

Ellen's 60 foot vessel, Kingfisher, was only second to PRB, the spectacularly achieving vessel of Michel Des - Joyeaux. The event covered 2,000 miles and finished, as it started at Les Sables d'Olonne in the Bay of Biscay. Kingfisher was built with the help of a team of sponsors, including Woolworths and B&Q, who put up the £3 million necessary to complete the project. Kingfisher is fitted with three Adverc battery management systems, to ensure the optimum performance of the batteries in all conditions. As we speak, Kingfisher is currently being refitted, in readiness for this year's gruelling schedule, that can be found at the end of this release.

First place in the Vendee Globe was taken at 7.30 on the evening of February 11th 2001 ..... by the French competitor Michel Des - Joyeaux, completing a spectacular event and smashing the record of Christophe Augin by completing the course in just 93 days. The Vendee Globe, is known as the most gruelling single handed race in existence, covering four seas and some of the hardest sailing conditions imaginable in its 26,000 mile course. 

He was greeted by approximately 300,000 spectators, who braved the biting cold to welcome Des - Joyeaux, nick names 'the professor' due to his exemplary nautical knowledge. As he entered the harbour, accompanied by a guard of honour of over 120 smaller vessels fireworks lit up the sky, marking his achievement, and the ending of Ellen MacArthur's hopes of first place. 

Ellen was only 180 miles behind, another achievement considering the fact that due to broken rigging, she had not been able to fully unfurl sails. As she approached the finishing line she was averaging 11 knots, a risky business, as high winds could easily have snapped her mast and rigging altogether, leaving her without sail power so close to her final destination. 

Ellen crossed the finishing line later that evening at 19.38 GMT, securing the accolades of second fastest single handed man or woman and youngest competitor around the world. She became the first woman ever to gain a podium place as she was greeted by Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy, Group Chief Executive of the sponsors Kingfisher Plc. 

Being greeted by hundreds of thousands of well-wishers was clearly startling for the 24 year old competitor, who had been alone for over three months, her only contact coming by satellite phone and e-mail, by which she received thousands of messages by a public fascinated by her battle against icebergs, treacherous winds, freezing conditions and total isolation. A wonderful achievement for any sports person, and a formidable challenge to other competitors in the Vendee Globe 2002. 

Mike Golding, who had faced so many cruel twists of fate during his attempt at the Vendee Globe finally crossed the finishing line on February 28th 2001 to be greeted by enthusiastic spectators and Ellen MacArthur amongst others. His vessel Team Group 4 has suffered broken masts, and myriad equipment failures to finish in a time of 110 days. Mike will be relaunching Team Group 4 and his racing plans on 22nd June. Until then, very little information will be released. 

Josh Hall finished eventually a day after Team Group 4 on the 29th February, quite an achievement for this ground breaking competitor. 

Pete Goss, whose giant catamaran was so disastrously destroyed so soon into The Race will be competing again, and pieces of his original vessel, have recently been found as far afield as Iceland! 

Kingfisher Plc has announced in February that it will continue to sponsor Ellen for at least the next twelve months. Anyone who saw the fascinating documentary on Ellen during the Vendee Globe will not be surprised that she has confirmed that she will spend the next year at sea, with only occasional breaks from competing. During the Vendee Globe, Ellen recorded over 40 hours of video footage on fourteen cameras, all of which need power, along with the other electrical equipment on board, satellite communications equipment etc. Having the advercs fitted meant all that had to be done was to fire up the generator for a while. 

On 29th April, Ellen raced for the first time a spectacular 60ft catamaran during the French Grand Prix for the Trophee Coralia. Interestingly, this race has proved the inspiration for a film by Claude Delouch, whose next release entitled 'And now ... Ladies and Gentlemen' will star John Malcovich and Patricia Kaas, signalling how the general public's imagination has been caught by marine events. 

The season started from Frecamp, France. ellen then went on to compete with Australian Nick Moloney on Kingfisher, in a series of short races for the Grand Prix Regatta. 

After the regatta Ellen stayed in France and joined Alain Gaultier, a previous winner of the Vendee Globe in 1992, and a member of the original design team for the Kingfisher Open 60. She will be competing with Alain during a series of events during 2001 - 2002. 

On the 13th May 2001 they left Cherbourg, to compete in the Challenge Mondial Assistance, a non stop race to Tarragon on the Mediterranean coast of Spain aboard Fonica. A ground breaking 60 ft catamaran that is cosponsored by Kingfisher Plc. The team won first place when the crossed the finishing line on 23rd May at 6.15 GMT, covering 2,700 miles in just 10 days, and only 400 metres in front of the competition. 

A series of Grand Prix events follow, including the EDS Atlantic Challenge in July / August 2001. The year culminates in the main event of the calendar, the Transat Jaques Vabres in November. This is a double handed event of over 4,500 miles from Le Havre to Brazil. 

Ellen is publishing a book of her experiences in October 2001. 

Other events Ellen will be competing in during the next twelve months include: 

• 5th - 10th June - Crewing on board Fonica in Cap d'Agde, France 
• 12th - 17th June - Skippering Kingfisher in 2nd Grand Prix Regatta - France 
• 19th - 24th June - Crewing on board Fonica in Multihull Grand Prix - Italy 
• 27th July - 25th August - On board Kingfisher in Atlantic Challenge event 
• 28th August - 2nd September - Training on board Fonica for Transat Jaques Vabres 
• 4th November - Competing in Transat Jaques Vabres May 2002 - On board Kingfisher for Challenge Assistance Mondial 

Ellen takes Overall Second Place in Grand Prix Regatta

Ellen McArthur and her GBR challenge crew once again won a place on the
winners podium after taking overall second place in the Grand Prix Regatta
for open 60s, after coming third in the final event on 18th June 2001.

SIL and Kingfisher both had added reasons for fighting for first place, as
they started the race with equal points, meaning the first to pass the post
would have taken first prize.  At the eight minute gun competitors squeezed
and jostled each other to gain the best starting position, but it was Roland
Jourdain and his crew on SIL who came out in front and delighted the crowd at
Port Valigues with some spectacular sailing.

Competing with, and eventually beating PRB, Ellen could not finally catch
Bernard Stamm and came in third, but second in the overall winners list.

Ellen is reported to be leaving imminently for Sardinia, where she will
co-skipper with Alain Gautier on Fonica Kingfisher in the next multihull
Grand Prix, before returning, with Kingfisher to St Malo for the EDS Atlantic
Challenge on 3rd July 2001.

For the technically minded

Ellen McArthurs Kingfisher was built and fitted out in New Zealand.

The Adverc Systems were installed by Mark Sheffield, Diverse Yacht Services based in the Hamble here in the UK. Two Yanmar engines were employed, the main one having a 12v/130A Leece-Neville alternator, Adverc controlled, with an additional free wheeling facility available for when the engine was used solely for propulsion.

The auxiliary gen. set back-up employed a smaller engine, having a custom cradle off one end, with two Leece-Neville 130A alternators running off this, each having its own Adverc system.

A 160A blocking diode was used for split charging two battery banks (main and starting), with battery monitoring using a Mastervolt Link 20.