Yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur smashed the record for the fastest single-handed circumnavigation of the globe on this day in 2005.
MacArthur, then 28, completed her 27,354-mile odyssey in 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds.
With an average speed on the water of 15.9 knots, the Briton beat the previous record set by Frenchman Francis Joyon by more than a day.
It was an astounding achievement given that many in sailing had predicted Joyon’s mark, set only in 2004, would last many years. Joyon had taken more than 20 days off the previous record in completing his journey in 72 days, 22 hours, 54 minutes and 22 seconds.
MacArthur, from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, set out on November 28, 2004 in her 75ft trimaran called B&Q/Castorama. She crossed the finish line off Ushant, France, at 10.25pm on February 7.
During an incident-packed voyage she narrowly avoided colliding with a whale, suffered burns to her arm and was battered and bruised after climbing the 90ft mast to carry out repairs.
She also had to battle gales and icebergs in the Southern Ocean, deal with light winds in the Atlantic and cope with a host of other technical problems.
Despite that, she managed to stay ahead of Joyon’s time for the vast majority of her adventure. She also collected another five records on the way, beating Joyon’s time to the Equator, the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin in Australia, Cape Horn and back to the Equator.
“I am elated, I am absolutely drained, it has been a very tough trip,” MacArthur said. “When I crossed the line I felt like collapsing on the floor and just falling asleep. I was absolutely over the moon.”
The yachtswoman was congratulated by the Queen and Prime Minister Tony Blair following her achievement.
The Queen said: “Your progress has been followed by many people in Britain and throughout the world, who have been impressed by your courage, skill and stamina.”
She described it as a “remarkable and historic achievement”.
MacArthur, originally from Derbyshire, was given a Damehood soon after completing her quest.
Her record stood for almost three years before being reclaimed by Joyon. He took another 14 days off the time, finishing in 57 days, 13 hours and 34 minutes.
The record is currently held by another Frenchman, Francois Gabart, who completed the journey in 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds in December 2017.
MacArthur, who still holds the record for the fastest woman to sail solo around the world, retired in 2010 and set up the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which campaigns for a circular economy to eliminate waste and pollution
Caribbean sailors miss out on medals in Men’s and Women’s dinghy competitions in Paris
Caribbean sailors Luc Chevrier of St. Lucia, Just van Aanholt of Aruba, and Thad Lettsome of the British Virgin Islands gave it their all but, unfortunately, fell short of the medals as the men's dinghy sailing event finished with the medal race on Thursday at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Chevrier finished 29th in the competition, scoring 199 points and 163 net points while van Aanholt finished 33rd with 217 total points and 178 net points.
Lettsome finished 38th, with 255 total points and 215 net points.
Throughout the competition, these sailors displayed exceptional skill, determination, and sportsmanship, representing their countries with pride on the global stage.
In the women’s dinghy competition, Bermuda’s Adriana Penruddocke and the Cayman Islands’ Charlotte Webster gave strong efforts.
In race 9, Webster finished 37th, while Penruddocke finished 42nd. After the medal race, Penruddocke finished 36th overall with 270 total points and 226 net points while Webster finished 41st with 349 total points and 306 net points.
These women put out a valiant effort, and while they did not get the opportunity at medalling, their performances were admirable, showcasing their athletic ability and passion for the sport.
Bouwmeester makes Olympic history following dinghy gold medal
Marit Bouwmeester made history at the Paris Games after she became the most decorated female in Olympic sailing following her triumph in the women's dinghy event.
Bouwmeester has now overtaken Great Britain's Hannah Mills, who won three Olympic medals between 2012 and 2020.
The 36-year-old won silver in this class of sailing in London in 2012, earning her first gold medal in Rio before earning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Denmark's Anne-Marie Rindom, who won gold in Tokyo three years ago, settled for silver this time around, with Norway's Line Flem Hoest taking the final podium place.
"It's nice to finally finish it off - it hasn't sunk in yet," Bouwmeester said.
"I have so much respect for Line and Anne-Marie, we push each other all the way."
Australia's reigning Olympic champion Matt Wearn grabbed gold in the men's dinghy, with Pavlos Kontides of Cyrpus picking up his second silver.
Stefano Peschiera ended Peru's 32-year wait for a medal with his bronze medal finish, while Team GB's Michael Beckett ended the final in 10th.
Caribbean trio improve in men's dinghy; Bermuda’s Penruddocke, Cayman Islands’ Webster slow into stride in women's event
St Lucia’s Luc Chevrier, Aruba’s Just Aanholt, and Thad Lettsome of the British Virgin Islands all redeemed themselves in races three and four of the men's dinghy event at the Marseille Marina – Frioul on Friday.
The standout performance came from Lettsome, who secured an impressive second place in race four. He started strong and led at mark 1, but slipped to third at mark three before inching up to second at mark 4, where he stayed until the end.
Lettsome finished just behind Croatia's Filip Jurisic. Aanholt and Chevrier placed 24th and 25th, respectively.
Race three saw Chevrier deliver the best performance among the trio, as he placed 19th, while Aanholt and Lettsome were 25th and 36th, respectively.
The overall standings reflect improvements for the Caribbean trio, with Chevrier now ranked 31st, Aanholt 33rd, and Lettsome 34th. All three sailors have advanced from their former positions after the first two races, demonstrating their determination and competence.
Bermuda’s Penruddocke, Cayman Islands’ Webster represent the Caribbean in women’s dinghy
Bermuda’s Adriana Penruddocke had a great start in the women’s dinghy event, finishing 14th in race one at the Marseille Marina – Frioul.
Meanwhile, Cayman Islands’ Charlotte Webster finished 41st in the same race.
Both sailors struggled in Race 2, with Penruddocke finishing 35th and Webster 40th. Penruddocke, on the other hand, redeemed herself in race three, finishing 26th, while Webster was 39th.
After three races, Penruddocke is 26th overall with 40 points, and Webster is 41st with 79 points.
Penruddocke, 24, secured her spot in Paris 2024 with a sixth-place result at the 2023 Pan American Games.
Webster, 20, qualified by finishing 12th in the ILCA 6 at the same games, becoming the third woman sailor from Cayman Islands to represent the country at an Olympic Games.
As the competition progresses and the upcoming races begin, the spotlight will be on these Caribbean competitors as they work to improve their place in the sport.
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