Ellen MacArthur

British sailor, a successful solo long-distance yachtswoman, she broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe on 7 February 2005, a feat which gained her international renown.

Previously, she achieved the second-fasted solo trip around the world on 11 February 2001 at 7:36 PM in Les Sables d'Olonne despite extreme conditions. She had a dangerous hazard with her mast, a damaging collision with a half-submerged container and a near-miss with an iceberg. She and the winner both broke the previous record for the fastest round-the-globe sail.

MacArthur grew up in landlocked Derbyshire but dreamed of long-distance solo-sailing and read everything she could find on the subject. At one point, she wrote 2,500 letters searching for a sponsor to which she received two replies.

The race began on 2 November 2000. Ten days after the conclusion she received a hero's welcome when she sailed up the Thames into London. The BBC aired a TV documentary about her on 1 March 2001 at 9:10 PM.

In 2005, she established a new record. Crossing the finish line at 22:29 GMT on 7 February 2005, the yachtswoman completed her solo sailing trip around the world. She completed her journey, a 27,354-mile voyage, in 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes, and 33 seconds, beating the previous record by a little over a day. MacArthur is also the youngest person to sail around the world alone. The finish line was between Ushant in France and Lizard Point in Cornwall. (Times and distances are from BBC news reports.)

Following her retirement from professional sailing on 2 September 2010, MacArthur announced the launch of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a charity that works with business and education to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.