Early Life
MacArthur was born in Derbyshire where she lived with her parents who were both teachers and two brothers, Fergus and Lewis. She acquired her early interest in sailing, firstly by her desire to emulate her idol at the time, Sophie Burke and, secondly by reading Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series of books. She has since become the Patron of the Nancy Blackett Trust which owns and operates Ransome's yacht, Nancy Blackett. Her first experience of sailing was on a boat owned by her Aunt Thea MacArthur on the east coast of England. She saved her school dinner money for three years in order to buy her first boat, an eight foot dinghy, which she named Threp'ny Bit even though decimalisation had taken place before she was born. She sellotaped a real Threp'ny Bit onto the bow. MacArthur attended Wirksworth County Infants and Junior Schools and the Anthony Gell Community School and also worked at a sailing school in Hull. When she was 17, MacArthur bought a Corribee and named it Iduna, she described the first moment she saw it as "love at first sight". In 1995 she sailed Iduna single-handed on a circumnavigation of Great Britain.
In 1997 she finished 17th in the Mini Transat solo transatlantic race after fitting out her 21 ft (6.4 m) yacht Le Poisson herself while living in a French boatyard.
She was named 1998 British Telecom/Royal Yachting Association "Yachtsman of The Year" in the UK and "Sailing's Young Hope" in France.
Asteroid 20043 EllenMacArthur is named after her.
Read more about this topic: Ellen MacArthur
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