New solo record to the Equator for Ellen on B&Q
by Team Ellen 7 Dec 2004 08:54 GMT
Ellen MacArthur, onboard her 75-foot trimaran B&Q, has set a new solo time to the Equator of 8 days, 18 hours, 20 minutes. MacArthur crossed the Equator into the southern hemisphere at 0230 GMT this morning (7.12.04) and subsequently took 14 hours and 3 minutes off the previous fastest solo time of 9 days, 8 hours, 23 minutes set by French sailor, Francis Joyon, during his successful solo around the world record attempt. Joyon crossed the Equator on day 9 of his round the world tour on 1st December 2003, he then went on to set a new solo round the world record time of 72 days, 22 hours, 54 minutes and 22 seconds - that is the record Ellen MacArthur is now trying to beat.
Ellen MacArthur started her solo attempt on 28.11.04 at 08:10:44 GMT and since crossing the start line has battled 40+ knots of wind in a low pressure system off the Spanish/Portuguese coast and in the last 48 hours has crossed the volatile region known as the Doldrums that sit just north of the Equator. Now she faces the next massive weather obstacle - the St Helena High - that can stretch thousands of miles across the South Atlantic blocking the way through to the Southern Ocean.
Equator Rendezvous:
Not only setting a new time to the Equator of 8 days, 18 hours and 20 minutes, Ellen had another extraordinary experience yesterday afternoon... The Royal Navy's frigate HMS Iron Duke and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker RFA Gold Rover, rendezvoused with Ellen just north of the Equator at approx 1700 GMT and a Lynx helicopter from HMS Iron Duke 'buzzed' past Ellen to take a few aerial shots... "It was so unbelievable - this has never happened to me before. One ship was to port and one to starboard - I chatted with the captain for a while, then they peeled away and carried on there way home. I felt really emotional once they had gone..." Sailing alone on the world's oceans, hundreds or thousands of miles from land, it is rare to see any birdlife and it is equally unique to have visual contact with another boat or ship. The two ships, enroute from the Falkland Islands via Brazil had been closely monitoring Ellen's progress, came within a mile of the trimaran B&Q and the ships company came on deck to cheer and wave.
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