Enough Ellen MacArthur Already!

[Meade's Ball]

There's no pleasing some people. And i'm one of them. I think the sheen has been taken off all these records since everything now seems so achievable. The price of "progress" i suppose.

 

[Gazwag]

It would have been more of an acheivement if she had gone the same way as Jason did, through the crashing rocks down near Greece

 

[Croydonbloke]

Well done Ellen. But wouldn`t it be easier to go on a world cruise with all the luxuries.

 

[GUNTER]

Even the bloke she took the record from was generous in his praise:

MESSAGE FROM FRANCIS JOYON
Tuesday, 8 February 2005 at 03:17


RTW Map - Joyon and shortest route
Image © No Credit Given

I always said that Ellen was a serious contender, and I can see today that she has decided to prove me right. The mere fact that she was able to sail around the world non-stop was quite an exploit, but to smash the record at the same time fully deserves my warmest congratulations. Ellen achieved this result through her concentrated efforts. Her team worked hard and backed her before and during her circumnavigation, and she did not ever lose her resolve. Being well supported is one thing, but when you find yourself in the middle of the southern lows in this type of boat, you really feel very alone. Having experienced the deep south in a multihull, and with this memory still fresh on my mind, I know full well that this can be very tough on the nerves. I am sure that at times, it must have been very hard going, and I often thought about Ellen, when she was in some difficult patches with south westerly winds and squalls violently pouring down on the boat. Her trimaran is big, there is a large surface area of sail, and in times like those, it is not her shore team that was able do much for her.

I was hoping to keep the record for a bit longer, but it was not something that I put on a pedestal either. During the press conference following my arrival, I pointed out that in my opinion it was possible to improve on my time, taking into account my damage and the times when I was becalmed. However, I did not think it would be Ellen beating me so soon, and so magnificently. Once again, well done to her!

Francis Joyon
Previous solo round the world record holder

 

[chip]

An amazing achievement and just the sort of thing we don't see enough of. Someone overcoming innumerable difficulties in harsh conditions and doing it so well.

Most of us don't have the get up and go to turn the telly off, but what an amazing woman. Its great to have something like this on the front page rather than Iraq or twatty politicians spouting bollocks.

 

[Simster]

It was still 27,348 MILES !!

Well done Dame Ellen - Britains greatest sporting hero (according to the current BBC poll)

That's ridiculous. What about Keiran Dyer?

Oh and a bird beating the round the world in a small boat IS actually news whereas the ceasefire in the middle east isn't. Why? Well let's just see what happens when some renegade Palestinian suicide bomber blows up a wedding killing 6 people and the Israelis decide to blame the Palestinian authorities and slaughter 48 on the West Bank in response. Sorry, seen it all before. About 10 times in fact. Come back to me when they look like signing a peace declaration that both groups support.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

The coverage has been OTT ... but then we don't tend to break many records or beat the rest of the world at much so ...

Must say that we're a strange bunch..... we call footy players hero's when the diddums score a goal, but someone who sails around the world on there jack jones is an attention seeking old cow .... great stuff

Schumaker has all the modern help he needs but people don't say that he's crap compared to Clarke, Brabham et al. The technology makes his car faster but he suffers greater G force and physical stress than his predessors. She has all the gismo's but suffers physically because when you're flying along three of four times as fast as the first solo yatchmans you can't afford to sleep, you get kicked aroun more and its f**king uncomfortable.

Its a great achievement, well done to her. Takes guts, the sea kills with ease, ever been in a storm, I have ... force 9, it was f**king horrible .... and I was in large boat ... an aircraft carrier .. still threw up ... a couple of people got broken bones being knocked about.
No, the girls done good.

 

[Easy 10]

Do it in a pedallo. THEN I'll be impressed.

 

[Simster]

If she chopped her arm off and then BACKSTROKED around the world, fighting off at least THREE sharks, I'd probably vote her in second place in the BBC Sports Personality Award - behind Andrew Strauss.

 

[Gullet]

Have to agree. The money B&Q sponsered her would have been better spent on the likes of the Health Service and opening up wards in hospitals. At the end of the day she chose to sit in a boat for 72 hours and nobody held a gun to her head so why should we have to listen to reports about it forever and a day.

And before anybody attacks me because I live in Ireland - the same goes on over here. Money wasted in the wrong quarters while hospital queues get longer.

So you would obviously agree with the point that Fat Boy Slim would have been better off putting his money into opening new hospital wards than wasting it on sponsoring a semi decent football team with a shit ground!!! After all thay chose to be footballers, nobody put a gun to their heads.
Stupid comment IMHO.

 

[looney]

Improovements in times are more to do with technology like golf, less than 2% off the record isn't really significant.


Personally I dont give a fig about the boating set, cowes week, Americas cup etc. Their more socially monotone than the fox hunters. No wonder the Queen dished out a Knighthood on the spot, ffs.

I thought I'd just register my lack of interest.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

South Today will be unbearable this evening. Could Roger Johnson squeeze any further up the boring cows arse? )And would she be interested, something tells me no!)

for the South Today viewers

 

[daveyboybhafc2]

the whole thing bores me to death

 

[smudge]

 

[Dover]

My home improvements, and the products used have been sourced from primarly independant suppliers.

Let's look after the little people, rather than the big boys with little or no product knowlegde.

 

[Yorkie]

She spent 71 days with only 2 hours sleep per day, having to raise a sail which weighs two and a half times more than her own weight at least three or four times a day, in the equivalent conditions of a hose pipe at full pressure being played on her from 40 feet away.
Day after day after day.

It took gruelling grit and determination and has been pointed out beat the French at their own game (they have been dominating the sailing in recent years)
The route she took was the same as previous record holders.

I hope none of you whingers and moaners achieve something really remarkable and have everyone just shrug it off and moan about you.

 

[Beach Hut]

I think it is an awesome achievement to do this.

To be so isolated for such a long time in extreme conditions gets my vote any day.

Congratulations on a truly superb world record Ellen

 

[Digmut]

well put yorkie

 

[the right footed denilson]

i think its an amzing achievemnt but would agree that the reaction is typically cringe-worthy and over the top.

 

[cab]

BREAKING NEWS - Ellen is now beginning her LAP OF HONOUR!