Editing Ellen MacArthur (section)

== Early life ==
{{BLP primary sources|date=June 2021}}
MacArthur was born in [[Whatstandwell]] near [[Matlock, Derbyshire|Matlock]] in [[Derbyshire]]<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ellen-MacArthur|title= Dame Ellen MacArthur|date= 4 July 2024}}</ref> where she lived with her parents, who were both teachers, and two brothers Fergus, still in Whatstandwell, and Lewis, who now lives in [[Pennsylvania]]. She acquired her early interest in sailing, firstly by her desire to emulate her idol at the time, Sophie Burke,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.speakersassociates.com/speaker/ellen-macarthur|title=Ellen MacArthur|first=Speakers Associates|last=Ltd|date=1 November 2016|website=Speakers Associates|access-date=18 October 2018}}</ref> and secondly by reading [[Arthur Ransome]]'s ''[[Swallows and Amazons series]]'' of books. She has since become the Patron of the Nancy Blackett Trust<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nancyblackett.org/ |title=The Nancy Blackett Trust&nbsp;– Arthur Ransome's Nancy Blackett |publisher=Nancyblackett.org |access-date=28 October 2009}}</ref> which owns and operates Ransome's yacht, ''[[Nancy Blackett (cutter)|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 to buy her first boat, an eight-foot dinghy, which she named ''[[Threepence (British coin)|Threp'ny Bit]]'' even though [[decimalisation]] had taken place before she was born.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Decimalisation-in-Britain/ |title=Decimalisation in Britain |website=historic-uk.com}}</ref> She sellotaped a real 'threepenny bit' coin onto the bow.

MacArthur attended [[Wirksworth]] County Infants and Junior Schools and the [[Anthony Gell School]] and also worked at a sailing school in [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]].{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} 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".{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} 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&nbsp;ft (6.4&nbsp;m) [[Classe Mini]] 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ipa.nw.ru/PAGE/DEPFUND/LSBSS/ALF/21.htm |title=List of asteroid namings (Archived copy) |website=ipa.nw.ru |access-date=19 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006073002/http://www.ipa.nw.ru/PAGE/DEPFUND/LSBSS/ALF/21.htm |archive-date=6 October 2008  }} (now moved to http://www.ipa.nw.ru/PAGE/FUNDAMENTAL/LSBSS/englenam.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118050914/http://www.ipa.nw.ru/PAGE/FUNDAMENTAL/LSBSS/englenam.htm |date=18 January 2017 }})</ref>