BRITAIN: When Ellen MacArthur achieved her remarkable second-place finish in the 2001 Vendee Globe, it was a staple of French TV news bulletins. Her arrival four years ago at Sables D'Olonne as sailing's newest star was a thoroughly Gallic affair.
Today, when the youngest solo circum- navigator in nautical history and the fastest woman is expected to disembark from her 70 ft trimaran B&Q as the world record holder for the most arduous journey in sailing, regardless of age or gender, she will be in no doubt about which side of the Channel she has landed on, nor the warmth of the welcome.
A stage-managed return is anticipated, delivering value for money to the crowds who have made their way to Britain's most westerly corner to greet her and the sponsors who have funded her remarkable voyage. Some time in the early hours, a flotilla was to travel out to meet B&Q to accompany it all the way into Falmouth, where its skipper will light two flares to signal her landfall.
MacArthur's shore team was last night wary of putting a number on the crowds expected at quayside, but the town's hoteliers reported brisk business.
Yesterday, a video screen showed footage of the voyage so far and her departure 72 days previously. Then, few rated her chances of breaking the record set in 2004 by the Frenchman Francis Joyon. Even MacArthur said her prospects were no greater than 25 per cent, and that Joyon's mark deserved to stand for a decade.- (Guardian service)