Ellen talks her way around Britain

Unique opportunity to hear the lass from Derbyshire speak about her life and career

This summer record breaking British yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur will give a series of public talks around the UK about her life and career. The talks, in conjunction with the Ellen MacArthur Trust Skandia Round Britain Voyage of Discovery will be the first time Ellen has spoken publicly since her record breaking round the world voyage in 2005. Ellen will talk about her many experiences at sea, her work with the Ellen MacArthur Trust and her plans for the future. Demand for tickets will be high and so should be purchased early to avoid disappointment!

The talks schedule is confirmed as:
- BRIGHTON: Tuesday 5 May, Regency Suite of the Brighton Hilton Metropole hotel from 6.30-7.30pm
- DOVER: Saturday 9 May, The Ark, Noah's Ark Road, Dover from 2.30 to 3.30pm
- LONDON: Saturday 16 May, Lecture Theatre KW315, King William Building, University of Greenwich, London from 2.00-3.00pm
AND
Wednesday 20 May, The Auditorium, BT Centre, 81 Newgate Street, London from 6.30-7.30pm.
· HULL: Saturday 6 June, venue and times tbc
· NEWCASTLE: Tuesday 9th June, venue and times tbc
· EDINBURGH: Wednesday 17 June, venue and times tbc
· ABERDEEN: Tuesday 30 June, venue and times tbc
· INVERNESS: Friday 10 July, venue and times tbc
· GLASGOW: Monday 27 July, venue and times tbc
· LIVERPOOL: Friday 14 August, venue and times tbc
· CARDIFF: Thursday 27 August, venue and times tbc
· TORQUAY: Saturday 5 September, venue and times tbc
· COWES: Sunday 13 September, venue and times tbc

Full details with venues, times and ticket prices will be published on the Round Britain website ( www.roundbritain.org) as venues are confirmed. Tickets can be purchased online and all proceeds will go directly to The Ellen MacArthur Trust, the charity set up by Ellen in 2003 which takes young people aged 8-18 sailing to help them regain their confidence on their way to recovery from cancer, leukemia and other serious illness.

Ellen comments; “I’m really excited about the summer ahead, spending time with the young people from the Ellen MacArthur Trust and visiting different places around the UK for the first time since my first solo voyage around Britain in 1995. The talks are the first opportunity that I’ve had for a long time to share my sailing experiences as well as my plans for the future and I can’t wait for it all to start!”

The Ellen MacArthur Trust Skandia Round Britain Voyage of Discovery starts from Cowes on 3 May, and involves 85 young people sailing the 48ft Scarlet Oyster the 2000 nautical miles around Britain on a four month voyage stopping at 17 ports around Great Britain including; Brighton, Dover, London, Ipswich, Hull, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Belfast, Douglas, Liverpool, Cardiff and Torquay.

The Voyage will provide a unique opportunity for the young people sailing to return to the paediatric oncology wards of the hospitals they were treated in and communicate their experiences and recovery path to those currently undergoing treatment for cancer. As well as Ellen’s involvement, Trust patron and double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson will also be taking part. As well as title partner Skandia, the Voyage is being supported by partners BT and the Energy Saving Trust.

Members of the public can also show their support for the Trust by donating £10 and ‘buying a mile’ of the Voyage. Donations can be made online by visiting www.justgiving.com/buyamile or by calling 0870 0636774. A virtual yacht has been created to track fundraising and each donation will move it forward one mile. Progress can be tracked on the Voyage website at www.roundbritain.org