Rivals celebrate MacArthur's record
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LONDON, England -- By claiming the world record for sailing solo around the world, Ellen MacArthur has struck the latest blow in a friendly duel between French and British sailors that has lasted for 40 years.
The latter were sailing's early pioneers, but French competitors have dominated the sport since the 1980s.
MacArthur's target was French sailor Francis Joyon's solo non-stop multihull record of just under 73 days completed in February last year.
The 48-year-old father of four from Brittany was hailed as a hero in France after taking an amazing 20 days off the old record.
Despite surrendering that mark, Joyon was among the first to offer his congratulations to MacArthur on Tuesday.
"I always said Ellen was a serious contender and I can see that she has decided to prove me right," said Joyon.
"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."
French President Jacques Chirac also paid tribute to MacArthur, hailing her "prodigious talent as a navigator."
"Those who admire you -- and they are as numerous in France as they are in your own country -- know that this extraordinary performance represents courage, effort, determination."
The Francophone MacArthur has been popular in France since finishing second in the Vendee Globe round the world race in 2000-01, when she became the fastest woman and the youngest person to sail solo around the world.
The front page of the French sport newspaper L'Equipe on Tuesday showed a photo of MacArthur punching the air under the headline "Ellen, Reine Mer."
The first person to sail around the world solo was American Joshua Slocum, who took three years to do it. He set off in his yacht Spray in April 1895 and finished in June 1898, after stopping off to stock-up on supplies at islands along the way.
But the first person to sail solo around the world stopping only once was Briton Sir Francis Chichester in 1966-67 in his boat Gypsy Moth. He had to go in to Sydney for repairs during his voyage.
Shortly afterwards fellow Briton Robin Knox-Johnston achieved the first non-stop circumnavigation. He won the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race when he sailed Suhaili around the world in 312 days.
Knox-Johnston left Falmouth on June 14, 1968 and returned a hero on April 22, 1969. His average boat speed was just over three knots or walking pace.
Sir Chay Blyth claimed another record for British sailing by becoming the first person to sail around the world against the prevailing winds and currents in his boat British Steel in 1970-71.
He took 292 days to complete the feat and is still only one of three men ever to do it the "wrong" way around.
The fastest time by sail around the world is 71 days set in 1997 with a French boat called Sport-Elec and a crew of 10 on board.
The French are now masters of the solo circumnavigation.
The Vendee Globe solo single-handed race is the toughest in the world. The latest winner, Vincent Riou, holds the record for the fastest circumnavigation in a slower monohull at 87 days. Only the French have ever won the race.
Since the Vendee Globe began in 1989, two yachtsmen have died competing for the prize of being first home. Several others have been lucky to be rescued, underlining how dangerous solo circumnavigation can be.
Britain's Tony Bullimore had a dramatic rescue in the 1996 race when he lost his keel off south west Australia. He survived for several days inside his capsized boat before being rescued by the Australian navy.
