Ellen MacArthur

Advantages An inspirational read.
Disadvantages None that I can think of.

...' I began to realize that the beauty of the water can't be taken away or captured. It can only be properly appreciated at first hand. I was also struck by how many sides the sea has to its personality.An angry sea on one crossing can be as smooth as silk on another. I was fascinated by how all this was possible and was desperate to understand much more. ' February 11th 2001, I remember sitting in front of the television and watching the news show live pictures of Ellen MacArthur sailing her boat, Kingfisher into a French port after completing the Vandee Globe. I remember thinking that yeah, it was pretty cool that a woman had sailed alone around the world, but I knew very little about sailing as a sport and even though I hate the way people are stereotyped, somewhere in the back of my mind was that little voice that said... Read review

Advantages The inspirational story of a successful woman sailor.
Disadvantages Some of the men are rather one-dimensional!

..."I've just read this marvellous book," said my friend "would you like to borrow it? It's Ellen MacArthur's autobiography". Her son had given her the book on Mother's Day. I could understand that. Her son's a sailor, although aircraft carriers are more his thing than single-handed ocean racers. I've no connection with the sea, or sailing, but I didn't like to refuse and the book came home with me. Ellen MacArthur had no connection with the sea either. She lived in land-locked Derbyshire, but her aunt had a boat and at the age of eight the salt water got into her veins. Boats don't come cheap, but Ellen was determined to have her own and she saved part of her school dinner money for three years so that she could buy her first boat, an eight-foot dinghy. Ellen had originally wanted to be a vet, but fate intervened. Whilst she... Read review

Advantages really good book incorporating sailing and a life journey
Disadvantages none really

...really goes into the highs and lows from childhood to conquering the world of sailing and the seas themselves. A well written book by an intelligent and intuitive woman who knew what she had to do, and went through terrible lows with faith to get to the highs!! She descibes all her great journeys in detail from her first boating experiences in a family boat, through getting her first boat, entering races and finally getting to the finish. The lows include overcoming illness, finding the money and sorting out the relationships which she does in an almost spiritual intuitive way which leaves the reader in awe. Her family remain alongside her for this journey along which she makes great friiends. Excellent book with pictures to match and this woman is still only young and has accomplished all this!! An ideal book for the sailor or those... Read review