The single-handed round the world record was smashed in 2004 by Francis JOYON (FRA), but Ellen and her team always believed they could do better and, on 28 November 2004, Ellen set off on her maxi-trimaran B&Q on what would be the fastest single-handed circumnavigation ever. Ellen faced the full range of the ocean's conditions and a nail biting final few days as she endured light winds which forced her to watch her lead on JOYON's time gradually diminish. Sailing a total of 27,354 nautical miles, Ellen took 1 day, 8 hours, 35 minutes and 49 seconds off JOYON's record, completing her voyage in just over 71 days. After a short rest Ellen was back out on the race course with a crew competing in the St. Nazaire to St. Malo race and the Plymouth to Roscoff Brittany Ferries 100 Mile Trophy.

The Achievements of Ellen MACARTHUR (GBR)

WR - Around the world, non-stop, single-handed record, 27,354nm, 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes, 33 seconds, average speed 12.66 knots, B&Q, 28 November 2004 - 7 February 2005
CR - St. Nazaire to St. Malo (SNSM) - Class Record (Maxi), 284nm, 1 day, 3 hours, 23 minutes and 29 seconds, B&Q, May 2005 (crewed)
'Alternative Sportsperson of the Year' - Laureus Sports Awards, May 2005
RR - Plymouth to Roscoff Brittany Ferries 100 Mile Trophy - Race Record, 100nm, 6 hours, 20 minutes and 33 seconds, June 2005 (crewed)

Name:	Ellen MacARTHUR (GBR)
Place of Birth:	Derbyshire, GBR
Date of Birth:	8 July 1977
Profession:	Sailor
ISAF Sailor ID:	1
Website:	www.teamellen.com
What inspired you to take up sailing?	I was introduced to sailing by my aunt when I was a child, we sailed a small boat on the south coast of the UK, after that I was hooked!
What was the first boat you sailed?	A Diamond 27 called Caberet at age of 4
How did you buy your first boat and what was it?	I saved up my school lunch money and aged 13 I managed to buy a dinghy, which I called 'Threepenny bit'
Name your first sailing club:	n/a
What was the first event you competed in?	Quebec-St,Malo in 1996 (3rd in class)
What was the first event you won?	Route du Rhum - Open 50 class in 1998
What are the main achievements/personal highlights of your sailing career?	Finishing and coming second in the Vendée Globe 2000/1
What are the main achievements/personal highlights of your sailing career?	Winning the Route Du Rhum in 1998 Open 50 Monohull Class and again in 2002 Open 60 Monohull Class
What are the main achievements/personal highlights of your sailing career?	Breaking the solo round the world record in 2004/5 - on board 75-foot trimaran B&Q
What are you future sailing goals?	The B&Q trimaran project is the main focus for the immediate future, including the solo transatlantic record attempt this year. At present we have a schedule for the B&Q trimaran until the end of 2006.
What does sailing mean to you?	Essentially it is my life, I love every aspect of sailing, whether it is just a day sail around the south coast or a high pressure record attempt. I love the freedom that I feel when I am out there on the water and it is a feeling that I cannot experience anywhere else. It challenges me both in a mental and physical sense and it is a sport where I am constantly learning and can always improve.
Who has had the greatest impact on your sailing career and why?	Mark TURNER, my business partner at OC Group, has had a huge impact on my career and life as a whole. He has been instrumental in the development of my career as a sailor and he is always the voice at the end of the telephone when I am away at sea. There are very few people who really know what it took to do this last record attempt and he had a huge part to play in making this a reality for me. Other than that it would be the great sailors of the past, Sir Francis CHICHESTER, Sir Robin KNOX-JOHNSTON, their achievements really inspired me and made me want to become a professional sailor.
Who is your sailing hero?	Sir Francis CHICHESTER, his stories were some of the first I read as a child and they have stayed with me ever since
What other sports do you enjoy?	I love kayaking and road cycling, both give me a great sense of freedom and physical challenge.
What does being nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2005 mean to you?	It is a great honour. There are so many people pushing the boundaries in sailing and with some fantastic achievements in the last year, to be singled out is a huge honour and I'm very proud to be nominated for such an award.
If you were voted as the winner, what would this mean to you?	I had the privilege of being named ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year in 2001, to be honoured again would be phenomenal and something I would accept with great pride not just for myself, but also for my team who have worked equally as hard as I have to make these dreams a reality.