Ellen MacArthur first hit the headlines in 2001 when she single-handedly raced non-stop around the world in the Vendee Globe when only 24 years old. In February 2005 she set a new world record aboard her 75ft trimaran, of 71 days, 14 hours, 1 minute and 33 seconds.

Since then she has broadened her work to include working in the area of sustainability, encompassing a trip to South Georgia and the Antarctic and various projects connected with preserving the environment around us. With her own flock of sheep Ellen is also a keen sheepdog handler and trainer.