Posted by John Wilson on February 16, 2001 at 11:20:27 from 203.96.26.98:
In Reply to: Re: ELLEN!!! posted by andy bolger on February 13, 2001 at 20:03:45:
Ellen MacArthur’s 60 foot yacht Kingfisher was made by Marten Marine of Auckland NZ, and cost one million pounds. Launched last February by Pippa Blake wife of yachtie Sir Peter Blake with a Maori blessing, and Moet and Chandon champagne. Yacht self-righting, designed for Ellen who is 1.62m (5 ft 4 in) tall, and it is claimed to be simpler, slightly narrower and to have more clearance for the water at the bow than the other Open 60 yachts.
Ellen who finished second in the Vendee Globe race with the fastest time by a woman is the youngest person to circumnavigate the world single-handed. She is to go in the July Atlantic Challenge, Europe to United States, with a crew!
We have the BT Challenge yachts in Wellington, New Zealand now. Professional skipper and a crew of 17. Also actors Jeremy Irons and Robert Powell and rugby player ZinZan Brooke.