Bravo Ellen

[Miki]

I am sure we all would like to offer congratulations to the very brave and supreme sailor, Ellen McArthur, who tonight broke the sailing world record for circumnavigating the globe in her multihull.

Can't wait to tell the "skippers" in the harbour at Saint Malo tomorrow

 

 

[Russethouse]

Fantastic news - quite tense even today when I still wondered if anything would go wrong at the last minute, something break or the wind just drop......

Sure she will get a well deserved fantastic welcome home tomorrow!

http://www.teamellen.com/ellen-article-100.html

I hear the French have a soft spot for her too

Well done Ellen !

[Miki]

Yes they most certainly have.

She is very much admired by the sailing fraternity here.

I and I suspect many French and Brits (as well I am sure, the rest of the sailing world) have my fingers crossed she will grace the Route du Rhum again next time.

In her monohull last time she sailed a great race, only just failing to win the race overall. Now she has turned permanently to the multihull class, it would be great to see her once more sailing out of the inner harbour in Saint Malo, past the Brittany Ferry berth and out past the islands in to the open sea.

 

 

[Fantine<br><br><br><br>Susie]

Felicitations Ellen.

I saw the report on her record breaking journey on French TV this morning. She was 'interviewed' by phone and her team were interveiwed in Falmouth, and guess what, both spoke in French, double Bravo!!

[Alexis]

Just been watching her on the news.  Very pleased she did it.

[Will]

Spot on Miki.

Ellen is a something of a heroine in France, almost an honorary Frenchwoman. Yet outside the Isle of Wight she seems like no big deal in England. I've had to either look at French TV or the South regional news on BBC to follow her progress. But it was great to see that she was the lead item in the BBC digital news this morning.

The French lady who gives me French lessons here (don't ask) has met her - in fact Ellen's been to her house which must have been an experience for Ellen. I've met her too, in connection with work. 

Much as I admire what she has achieved I still think the French and Saunders parody of her live reports was hilarious (though because she has a somewhat lower celebrity profile thanthose nonentities and has-beens in Big Brother and the jungle thingie, I think it was probably lost on most of the viewing public).

 

[Miki]

And now it's to be Dame Ellen McArthur, so more congrats are in order.

Just come back from a wasted trip to the lighting shop and yes, got there at 11.59 and whoosh, the staff flew past me like the start of a 100 metres race ! Fermé ! drats and I asked myself, how many years does it take to get used to the shop hours then Miki !!

Anyway I digress, the presse and boulangerie were still open, civilised shops, they don't shut until 12.30 ! In the shop the front page of the papers were awash with pictures and stories of Dame Ellen, with many quotes from all the French sailors, all recognising her brilliance.

Now all I want is Greavsie to be knighted and I shall be a very happy man 

 

[Will]

I must say the BBC is doing Dame Ellen proud today - even live broadcasts from where she went to primary school (which happens to be somewhere I know well and lived near for a while, far from the sea).

I know what you mean, Miki. We went to Caen yesterday which is about as big as big towns get here. Being Monday, lots of that was closed. Though there were some big shops even open through lunchtime, what a shock. Strange to visit the Abbaye aux Hommes and see one's own tomb though (and a waxwork of oneself ).

[David]

Sorry to be a drag on this one, but I have difficulty with single handed sailors.  I am a professional seaman, having spent many years at sea, and I am a qualified Master Mariner, although now retired.  I am also a life governor of the UK RNLI.

I do not agree with this type of sport as I do not see how a single handed yacht can comply with the international regulations for preventing collision at sea, for example keeping a good lookout at all times.

Having experienced much bad weather at sea, and having had very close quarters situations with pleasure yachts (that is nearly colliding with them in narrow channels and elsewhere), and having witnessed rescue operations, I wonder how this sport can be lauded in the way it is.

I do agree that Ellen has completed a remarkable achievement, and I recognise that she has been made a Dame, but there seems to be no understanding of the dangers and difficulties to other seamen that this sport poses.  I recognise that when the yacht is deep sea any risk is low, but the risks multiply when the yacht is anywhere near sea lanes.

I wonder if any of the people applauding Ellen have considered this aspect.  I would also be grateful for any advice or response from any person who has had experience of long distance single handed sailing, so that I can appreciate their point of view.

I would like to reply to this, and other threads, properly and in a reasoned manner, but I only have a dial up connection and the phone is blocked when I am on line.

Can any one, perhaps Mazan if he is still talking after the hunting thread, say if it is possible to prepare a reply off line, and then post it to the proper thread?

 

[Dick Smith]

"Can any one, perhaps Mazan if he is still talking after the hunting thread, say if it is possible to prepare a reply off line, and then post it to the proper thread?"

See response on the hunting thread.

[Will]

I know exactly what you are saying, but I think that the majority of profesional seafarers are, like me, on Ellen's side. I have a fair bit of sea time myself, and as a maritime journalist in both the yachting and merchant marine spheres (including maritime safety) I have seen both sides of this discussion.

Having met Ellen and others like her, I know that they are very much aware of the International Collision Regs. I also know how single handed sailors operate, and my belief is that they are far less of a hazard than many dubiously-run merchant ships afloat today - just look at the port state control detention statistics to see that officers of the watch without proper qualifications and ships with defective navigational and safety equipment are not exactly a rare occurrence.

It's also true that the International Maritime Organization and flag states would soon act (as far as that is possible when the IMO is concerned ) if there was a serious threat to shipping or the environment. In fairness to IMO it has proved that it can react quickly with regard to the security and piracy issue, through the ISPS Code and associated changes to the SOLAS Convention, as you will know.

So yes, there is a potential conflict with the regulations, but I believe the maritime community can live with it.

On your other point, I have successfully used a device called the 'Internet Alert' which alerts you to incoming phone calls while on the internet. Does this sound as if it might help? If so, I'll try and dig out the details.

[David]

Dear Will,

Just a quick message this morning to free the phone up, I will respond fully later.

I do agree with you completely about sub-standard merchant ships.  Having been a P&I surveyor for many years I have seen many of these ships, and have tried to have their insurance withdrawn, often successfully - I could go on for hours about them.

I do think that Ellen has achieved a remarkable feat - I would be terrified just to go out into the Bay of Biscay in a sailing boat.

I just wondered how this sport complied with the regulations.

Regarding the internet alert, I would be grateful for any details you could supply,

Many thanks and kind regards,

David

[Will]

David - Thanks for the reply. I think we could have some very interesting discussions, but maybe a France forum isn't the place .

Regarding the Internet Alert, you can find details of the various models here: http://www.comtechproducts.co.uk/tele/index.htm