Please select your home edition
Edition
Melges 15

Ellen down and exhausted

by Ellen Macarthur on 5 Dec 2000
The fleet press on towards the windy south and just begin to feel the blast of air that
signals the start of the Roaring Forties - Parlier 72 miles ahead of Mich, Ellen still fourth
despite a hard night.

* Drama on board Kingfisher as kite gives way and become tangled under the boat - Ellen stops
to retrieve sail but only costs one hour in sailing time.

* Thomas Coville also has problem when a whale stops him. Has to stop to assess the damage
but continues after making some repairs.

Telecon from Ellen

'I am completely exhausted. There always are down moments and this is one of them. I am just
so tired and I ache after the battle with the kite and the run up to it giving way.'

'First off I noticed some chafe, which I knew I had to sort sooner rather than later so I set to
reinforcing and protecting the problem area. I made 720 bradawl holes and 720 stitches by hand
and sorted the tack problem out It was six hours of hard work, which is why I could not do
yesterday's audio clips for the website and my hands were really sore afterwards but it was a
success!'

'Then I had the genneker up and I had a French TV interview to do which also had Catherine on
it so I changed down to the Genoa to make sure we had no dramas while the interview was
going on. Back up to the genneker until it came time to hoist the kite again.'

Fantastic!

'We were off and going well. I was in the back of the boat shifting the stores to trim the boat
when suddenly the kite gave way and immediately when under the boat and in the water. In order
to retrieve the blasted thing I had to stop the boat and haul my biggest sail back in, untangle it
from the bowsprit and everywhere else in the process until I finally had a pile of wet cloth on the
foredeck. I do not know why the sail went but it is very disheartening to have only had it up for an
hour after so much work. The repair was fine and it is only once I get a chance to dry the whole
thing out a little will I be able to see what the problem was.'

'I was thankful that it was only an hours lost sailing - these things can often take much longer to
sort. Once I had the genneker back up I went down as just collapsed on the chart table seat and
had a bit of a cry - but it was only because I was just so tired. I slept for a while and now feel
much better but I know that I need to get in few more Claudios before we hit the forties.' (Ed
note: A Claudio is the nickname the team have given to a nap in honour of Dr Claudio Stampi's
work on napping and sleep with Ellen)'

Castro kid of the day: A Donf to Nais at Hospital Morvan in Brest!

Menu of the day: More Macaroni Cheese...deja vu?!

GOLD partner of the day: Marlow Ropes have supported Offshore Challenges project from the
very first venture in to the French short-handed sailing world...Figaros, Minis and now they equip
'Kingfisher' with all the spectra ropes that control this racing
machine...http://www.marlowropes.com

Related Articles

Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais day 4
All on the line Sunday as American Magic Quantum Racing seek to close out eighth world title After three spectacular races today on Cascais, Portugal's showcase high winds arena, Doug DeVos' seven times world title winners American Magic Quantum Racing lead into the final day of the 2025 Rolex TP52 Worlds with a hard earned five points buffer.
Posted today at 6:45 pm
Melges 24 European Series in Monfalcone day 2
The Melges 24 fleet flies on early morning Bora as Nefeli retains the lead The Bora wind made its mark on the second day of the seventh event of the 2025 Melges 24 European Sailing Series, also serving as the second stage of the 2025 Trofeo Gaudi, hosted by Yacht Club Monfalcone.
Posted today at 5:14 pm
1, 2, 1, 2… RS200 sailors this is your mic check
For the 2025 Nationals social programme 1, 2, 1, 2... RS200 sailors this is your mic check for the 2025 nationals social programme. Set your sails and your Spotify to "absolute bangers" - because the 2025 Noble Marine RS200 Nationals in Abersoch isn't just about racing.
Posted today at 1:00 pm
Supernova Nationals 2025 at the WPNSA overall
An impressive 88 despite a change of venue It wasn't that long ago that the Supernova fleet were excited for their upcoming visit to Plymouth for the 2025 national championships. Sadly things weren't to be with some overrunning building work unfortunately leaving us without a venue.
Posted today at 11:13 am
Europe Masters & Youth Europeans Days 2 & 3
Hayling Bay didn't fail to deliver on Thursday and Friday The forecast for both Thursday & Friday looked perfect - 10-12 knots from the SW with the likelihood of a sea breeze and Hayling Bay didn't fail to deliver.
Posted today at 10:32 am
Harken Hadron H2 Nationals day 1
A 12-14 knot south-westerly breeze at WPNSA provided a thrilling start to the event A 12-14 knot south-westerly breeze at WPNSA provided the competitors a thrilling start to the 2025 Hadron H2 national championships on Friday, 4th July.
Posted today at 6:08 am
AEGEAN 600 Attica Warm-Up Race
5th edition sets sail with strong winds and signature Greek hospitality Under perfect sunny skies and brisk northerly winds, the 5th edition of the annual AEGEAN 600 kicked off with a flawless start both on and off the water.
Posted on 4 Jul
Sam Goodchild in the Course des Caps
The final phase is full of potential pitfalls Sam Goodchild, the British skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance who has been dominating the IMOCA round Britain and Ireland race since the start of the third day, says the goal now is to focus on the complex finishing section.
Posted on 4 Jul
Harken D-Zero Nationals day 1
Thrills, spills and misdirections With a strong south-easterly wind forecast for Saturday, gusting 24kts, the race officer scheduled three races for day one in the hope that all eight races scheduled for the Nationals might be completed over the weekend.
Posted on 4 Jul
29er Europeans at Lake Garda day 2
Light breeze, boat park buzz and big wins off the water >Day 2 brought lighter winds to Lake Garda, but the energy around the event stayed sky-high.
Posted on 4 Jul