May is here and it's time for another
Honorary Oakley. This month we're going
with a woman who fought adversity and
huge waves to finish a solo circumnavigation
of the world in 71 days, 14 hours, 18
minutes and 33 seconds, breaking the world
record for sailing around the world alone.
She broke the previous record, held by
Frenchman Francis Joyon, by 32 hours!
Ellen showed strength, courage and determination
whilst facing this huge challenge and
it is these qualities that have landed
her square in the archives of the Honorary
Oakley.
Now let's take a closer look at the
lady herself.....
 Ellen
MacArthur - A quick bio:
Full Name: Ellen MacArthur
Born: Derbyshire, England
Parents: Teachers
Sailing Since: The
Age of 4
Speaks: English and
French
Background Information:
Ellen MacArthur was born in
Derbyshire, England, the daughter of
teachers. At the ripe old age of 4 she
was introduced to sailing via an aunt
who took her sailing on her boat which
Ellen muses in her biography as "the
most beautiful boat I had ever seen,”
and that herself and aunt "went
completely out of sight of land, and
for the first time in my life I felt
completely free.”. Perhaps it
is this sense of total freedom that
has led Ellen MacArthur to the great
heights she now scales.
Ellen got her first boat when she was
ten, she had been saving for her own
boat since the age of 8 when she started
saving her money which resided in a
money box in her bedroom. These savings
were then boosted when her grandmother
chipped in and helped her to purchase
the eight foot dingy that was to become
her first boat.
After years of studying the yachts
people to have gone before her Ellen
became the youngest person to pass the
yachtmaster offshore qualification which
was a feat in itself and the beginning
of what was yet to come. Unable to find
a sponsor within the UK (aint it always
the way.. let's send our talent elsewhere
and then congratulate them when they
acheive something) Ellen went to France,
got a small boat and entered the Mini-Transat,
a 3,000-mile solo race across the Atlantic.
Ellen made the crossing in 33 days,
which placed her 17th and the Kingfisher
retail group became her sponsor and
the rest as they say is history!
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