Just after 10.00 on the night of February 7th 2004, Ellen MacArthur crossed an imaginary line in the sea off Brittany to become the fastest person ever to sail solo round the world. The record was held by a frenchman, Francis Joyon. He'd slashed over 20 days off the previous record and many thought his extraordinary new benchmark would stand for 10 years or more. Most experts thought that the record would be beyond MacArthur. But in a superhuman effort that forced her to dig deeper than ever before, she proved the doubters wrong. Her effort captured the world's imagination and the scenes that greeted her return to Falmouth were euphoric. She had become, some claimed, the finest sailor her country had every produced. Drawing on logs, emails, sound and video diaries, this beautifully designed, fully illustrated book captures the drama, excitement, danger, joy and tears of a truly extraordinary achievement - in Ellen's own words.

About the Author
Ellen was described in the Observer as 'the first true heroine of the 21st Century'. She's been named Sailor of the Year twice, crowned World Champion, named Sunday Times Person of the Year 2001 and was runner up in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Ellen is from Whatstandwell in Derbyshire and lives in Cowes.

Reviews

'The single greatest sporting feat of the year ... In any sport. In any nation.' Sunday Express

'MacArthur embarked on this journey as a yachtswoman and returned a as a symbol of human aspiration' Daily Telegraph

'MacArthur is wonderful, fabulous, inspiring. She is a bringer of joy and an emblem of hope.' Simon Barnes

Awards
Short-listed for British Book Awards: Sports Book of the Year 2006.



Book Information
ISBN 9780141026480
Author Ellen MacArthur
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 500g
Dimensions(mm) 201mm * 132mm * 17mm