InvisibleMan

well each year everest is getting smaller so its getting easier isnt it

Iain Young

Nope, I'm basing that on the Everest program I saw on one of the discovery channels on the telly the other night. Seems as though there is almost a constant stream of people going up and down it. Not all make it to the summit (depends greatly on the weather), but that doesn't mean that they are not capable.

type-r-stan

i have never sailed a boat in my entire life but have immense admiration for Ellen McArthur and think that she is an excellent role model for young people. Ffs why some people cannot wait 5 minutes before they start bitching is beyond me. Totally agree with ollyk and f.c.d. She has done more for the benefit of society than most of the people who frequent this board, myself certainly included, and her efforts will doubtlessly encourage people to donate to her own trust fund.

You miserable bast@rds are what makes britain so GREAT !!!

Iain Young

What's size got to do with it. I just said it's more technologically advanced and faster. I never mentioned the size

OllyK

And football is absured period, IMO, but I can also appreciate that Beckham et al do have to put a tad of effort in to things to get where they have got. Ellen MacArthur has done the same, she is at the top of her chosen sport and has just broken a major record. It's a bit like England winning 10:0 in a world cup final. Damn England can get dumped out in the first round when it comes to footy and everybody is tea and sympthay.

Iain Young

And you lot are very easy to wind up

I recognose true achievement when I see it, but that is very rarely at the pinnacle of sport. I have much more respect for the unsung people who achieve almost the same things, but without the financial backing or support of the "big names"...

Iain Young

Size is not the only deciding factor where speed is concerned. It's all to do with the hydrodynamics of the hull and the overall balance of the vessel.

OllyK

Sure - but how many do it solo and without breathing kit. Anything is that much easier whan you have support teams etc etc. Team round the world sailing is likewise far more common.

Likewise Ellen's attempt was weather dependant, but she didn't really have the option to change her mind half way through it.

Iain Young

Just quoting what they said on the telly. Not been there myself, so I can only repeat what was said....

OllyK

Hull length is a major (not the only but a major) factor in sailing boat speed, cat and tri marans are popular as you get the benefits of a much longer hull but because it is in 2 or 3 parts you can actually have a relatively small boat.

TelBoy

I won't bang on about it, but the reason you can appreciate the talent of Beckham etc is that LOTS of people play football, so you can easily judge him against the "norm". All i'm saying is that this "record" has been set in a comparative vacuum, and as such i can't attach the same amount of respect to it. I honestly don't regard it as a "major record". But good luck to her for inspiring other people, and possibly women in particular, for showing what's possible if you put your mind to it.

Iain Young

Just a few, (nutters mostly ). She was never really alone. The advanced computer navigation equipment kept her on course, and she was in constant touch via satellite phone etc. If she had done it with a sextant and no comms, then that would have been different....

Not sure what you mean there. She could have aborted the run at any point and got someone to come and pick her up, (apart from during storms I suppose)...

Flatcapdriver

Telboy. In order to put this achievement into context, let's compare her time with Steve Fosset who sailed a similar route last year although there are a few major advantages that he enjoyed:

His boat Cheyenne was fully crewed with a total of 13 on board as opposed to the solo effort by McArthur.

Cheyenne is around 50% bigger than B&Q which gave him a significant advantage in terms of boat speed. Cheyenne also had a sail area around 60% larger which also gives a considerable speed advantage.

Fosset's budget was considerably larger than McArthur's and given that many in this thread attribute money with inevitable success then it's no surprise that with all these advantages he was quicker than her.

So, to sum up he had a boat that was 50% bigger with a vastly larger sail area with a budget that was fairly chunky too, combined with the fact that he had twelve other men on board (men are obviously going to be better at this aren't they) and they still only managed to beat her time by 12 days.

She took the record from Joyon whose boat was 10 metres longer and consequently faster too - but hey, that's not really that impressive is it?

TelBoy

Not to me, no. Sorry. Just can't compartmentalise the achievement. Sue me.

Flatcapdriver

So, would you respect my achievement if I was to tell you I'd sailed around the UK when I was 15 in a wooden 21 footer without any financial assistance? Nobody made a great fanfare about that happening to an individual who set a record.

OllyK

Again - opinion, I think his is a talentless gimp, but that's just me, I don't like football or Beckham.

If the England team managed to win the World Cup I'd say well done lads, I wouldn't be bothered but I wouldn't slag them off becuase there were only 40 or 50 teams taking part.

So few people take part becuase it's so damn difficult to start with. Anybody can try to do it, but even getting a boat to the start line takes a monumental effort in terms of planning and preparation, most fail long before they get there.

Iain Young

Yes, my point exactly. I'd have a lot more respect for that than if you'd done it with loads of money, the latest tech, backup crews etc...

TelBoy

Indeed. So in what sense is it a real "world record"? In my opinion, it isn't.

Iain Young

Records are usually pretty meaningless. Just because one person has sailed around the world 10 days faster than it was done 5 years ago, doesn't mean that the old record was any less of an achievement. In fact, considering the differences in technology, the older record may well be more impressive...

Flatcapdriver

Then presumably you'll admit to respecting Ellen McArthur for doing just this at the age of 17, for it was her, not me that achieved this having saved her lunch money to buy her first boat.

Iain Young

Indeed. I would respect her for that. Doesn't mean I have to respect the latest record breaking achievement though.

dba

I see your point Telboy,but its still pretty bloody scary in the pitch black off Cape Horn,in force 10 gales (i can only imagine)

forget the record bit,i agree with you its a bit off mark,its the endurance thing thats impressive to me

Flatcapdriver

Why not? I understand your position but I don't think you understand how difficult this is to achieve - it's not something that just anybody can achieve by stepping on a boat and zipping round the world.

Iain Young

I can understand it's an achievement to make the trip. I can't understand the fuss being made about breaking the record.

I presume there has been more than 1 boat involved in this race?

If so, why have I not heard anything about any others in the news, despite the fact that they would have endured the same conditions, just not got through them as quickly. Just as big an achievement in my book...

Flatcapdriver

Nope. No other boats involved. There is a race called "The Race" which involved fully crewed multihulls that takes place every four years but in this instance, it's a race against time not other competitors.

Jerome

I find it fairly depressing that even when someone English beats a Frenchie, they're still not pleased.

I've done a fair amount of sailing myself, so I'm probably in a better position to recognise her achievement, but I still find it staggering that so many people are criticising her. If you were so uninterested, why even bother opening this thread?

I find cricket the most boring sport in the world, but I'm still pleased when I hear that the England cricket team have won something.

Lastly, what the **** does someone have to do nowadays to impress you guys?

Flatcapdriver

Probably have a massive post count on a bulletin board.