On Monday, February 7th 2005, Britain's 28 year-old Ellen MacArthur achieved what many sailors only dream of: She single-handedly sailed around the world. The 5 ft. 2" woman from Northern England's landlocked county of Derbyshire sailed into port yesterday, in record time. Around the world in 71 days!

71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds -- to be exact.

The British "Dame", who began sailing at theage of four, set the world record yesterday beating Frenchman Francis Joyon's previous record which was set in 2004.

When a man in England becomes a knight he is called "Sir." When a woman becomes a knight she's called "Dame."

Yesterday, MacArthur beat Joyon by 33 hours. And in a boat that was 15 feet shorter than Joyon's.

The first person to sail solo around the world was Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. Knox-Johnston, who is now 65 years of age, sailed into the record books in 1969. It took him 312 days in a 32 foot wooden yacht Suhaili.

The first woman to sail around the world, and the oldest, was Pat Henry. On May 5th 1997, she anchored her 31-foot sailboat, Southern Cross, in Acapulco Harbor. She started her journey in 1989.

MacArthur had made a previous attempt in February 2001. In the Vendee Globe race, it took her just more than 94 days to become the fastest woman and youngest person to sail alone around the world.

Now, she has a new record.

MacArthur admitted that the support from the public made a huge difference to her during her quest to become the fastest solo sailor to circumnavigate the globe.

England's Queen Elizabeth II said:

I'm delighted to learn that you have completed your round-the-world journey in record time.

Since you set sail last November, your progress has been followed by many people in Britain and throughout the world, who have been impressed by your courage, skill and stamina.

I send you my warmest congratulations on your remarkable and historic achievement.

Prince Charles also congratulated MacArthur. He said in a statement:

We have all watched your progress with the greatest possible excitement over the last 71 days ... the whole of the United Kingdom is, I know, delighted by your success.

England's Prime Minister Tony Blair joined the royal family by offering a similar tribute. When he called to congratulate her, he said:

This is a stunning achievement.

The whole country is very proud of Ellen.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who joined MacArthur on the victory podium, said he had believed that Joyon’s record, set last February, would stand for at least ten years. He said:

You have managed to put us back on the sailing map and I think we are all terribly grateful to you, Dame Ellen.

In addition to the Queen of England, Prince Charles, Prime Minister Blair, Sir Knox-Johnston and her other fans, along with her support team, her boat and her sponsors, MacArthur was grateful for her sheer will and tenacity.

She also came to appreciate, and in many cases depend on satellite navigation, satellite phones, instant weather forecasts and electronic safety beacons.

Having just made it into the Falmouth harbour in Cornwall safe-and-sound, by lunchtime on Tuesday, she was already talking about setting new records.

She said:

There are other records.

The transatlantic record is there and that's something I'll be aiming for.

I do not want to stop sailing this boat. It is a nice pause in a good story.

Before setting her sights on new records, however, she took time out to pay tribute to the team of people who worked around the clock day-and-night to help make her record-breaking efforts a success.

MacArthur intends to not only make another attempt at the transatlantic west-to-east solo sailing record, which she missed out on by just 75 minutes in June last year, she expects to make first attempt at the round Britain and Ireland time.

MacArthur told her team chief Mark Turner, her on-shore support crew, the media and all her fans:

When I was out there I was never ever alone, there was always a team of people behind me, in mind if not in body.

A record is nothing if not shared. I'm proud of the record but I'm even more proud to be working with the best team in the world.

Ellen MacArthur's Around-The-World Sailing Route

Throughout her 27,000 mile journey, MacArthur was forced to make hasty repairs to her mast, generators and water-maker in difficult conditions.

She sailed from Great Britain through the Doldrums, past South Africa's Cape of Good Hope and Australia's Cape Leeuwin, around the globe, past South America's Cape Horn, back through the Doldrums and home to England.

In the end, her boat, which she nicknamed "Moby" did not let her down.

MacArthur gave major kudos to her 75 foot B&Q trimaran, her "partner" during this once in a lifetime, around-the-world journey.

She said:

My partner in crime is sat down there on the water.

I can almost see her from here. She has been the most incredible boat. She's a fighter, a boat that will not let you down.

And the team who built her are responsible for the fact that I am here, right now, safe and well and also with a record.

The young woman from Derbyshire, who sailed into "herstory" yesterday said, "There were a million high moments but it's sometimes difficult to communicate those."

Day of Departure

The journey began on November 27th 2004, and came to a triumphant end on February 7th 2005.

There were also many low, "excruciatingly difficult" challenges:

She slept an average of 30 minutes at a time and four hours in any day.

She reheated freeze-dried meals on a single burner stove.

Luxury Living

Her living area for 71 days measured 5 feet by 6½ feet.

She survived on a supply of desalinated water from the sea.

She and "Moby" had a close encounter with a whale. The boat came close, but fortunately did not hit the whale. However, it did hit a large fish.

Meanwhile, 65 mile per hour high winds and storms gave MacArthur and her boat a constant beating.

Her boat suffered a broken sail. Twice she climbed the 98-foot mast to attempt to repair her mainsail.

Ellen suffered burns, bruises and exhaustion.

After surviving the worst storm of her life, she badly burned her arm on a generator. In an email message, she wrote:

What I have done wrong to deserve this?

Everything we worked so hard for we are losing. It is so unfair. It has never been so hard.

Ultimately, the challenges never broke MacArthur and Moby's spirit.

A few of the high moments took place when her epic solo journey came to an end.

Victory!

The moment took place at 5:29 p.m. ET on Monday when she and her boat crossed an imaginary finish line between Ushant, France, and the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall on the south coast of England.

MacArthur said:

Some days you have a huge rolling sea, the boat is sailing magnificently and you think there is no better place on earth to be right now.

The boat was just tuned perfectly coming into home as the sun set yesterday and there were stars in the sky.

And I smelt the land again, I could see the light at Ushant flashing and I thought finally there was the land and that was a good feeling.

For 71 days I watched the clock tick away and through the good and bad, the one thing that never changed was the ticking of the clock.

To see the clock not moving now is unbelievable and I am so relieved.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston spoke of what it takes to do what he, Joyon and MacArthur have done. He said:

You need a mind that can focus, someone who can be happy on their own, dealing with things on their own, and is incredibly self-disciplined.

I don't think [an ability to handle] fear really comes into it.

Say you're lying in your bunk, you're tired and you can feel the boat isn't right.

Most people would lie there, say 'I'm so tired, I'm just going to get a bit more rest. It's better for me, then I'll get up and deal with it'.

The person who will do well is the one who says, 'I can't sleep until I've got the boat right', and that requires determination and mental discipline.

This is clearly where MacArthur excels.

From saving her school dinner money to buy her first boat, through sailing alone around Britain at the age of 18 on a 21ft yacht, to camping in a French boatyard while re-fitting another, MacArthur has displayed a phenomenal single-mindedness.

For now, Ellen MacArthur plans to take a break before setting her sights on her next sailing challenge.

A well deserved break, at that!

She also looks forward to becoming the "youngest dame" in Britain.

David Beckham may even have a word with her.

As of today, in her country, she has become the second biggest sports personality of the year -- after the English soccer star.

Congratulations, Ellen, "Moby" aka B&Q, Chief Mark Turner, her trainer Matt Scott, the Ellen MacArthur / B&Q support team, sponsor Kingfisher, her hometown of Derbyshire, and all the sailors around the world who have lived vicariously through you and cheered you on over the past 71 days.

As they say in Australia, "Good on ya, mate."

And as we say in America, "You go, girl!"

An Inspiration To Many

One of Ellen's many fans paid a tribute to the record-breaking sailor through the BBC. Stuart from Macclesfield, England wrote: "As I've watched your progress you have inspired me never to give up and filled me full of determination."

To read other tributes offered to Ellen MacArthur, go to:

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful and "record-breaking" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King

All photo credits: BBC.