According to Ellen MacArthur's website, she is attempting to break a record in an exceptional event. The record is exceptional because:
• 1800+ people have reached the summit of Everest...*
• 450+ people have been in space...**
• 12 astronauts have stepped on the moon...**
• Only 5 solo sailors have attempted to race around the globe non-stop on multihulls (the fastest and most extreme boats on the oceans) in pursuit of a new world record...
• Only 1 sailor succeeded to go the distance non-stop...
• Ellen MacArthur will become the next sailor to attempt this world record - the youngest in history to take on the challenge...
Her boat is a multihull boat sponsored by B&Q. A monohull sail boat has to have a lot of weight as ballast to counteract the rotational tendency of the sail. A catamaran has two hulls, and to run at highest performance, must have one hull out of the water. This is impossible to maintain for a long race. A multihull boat requires less ballast than a monohull, and is more stable than a catamaran, so is the style of boat best suited to long ocean races. If the mutlihull boat is tipped over, it can't be righted, which is a disadvantage over monohull boats. Don't tip it over, Ellen! Her site has video feeds, race reports, journal entries, and photos. Good luck, Ellen!!
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