Hampshire sailors rule . . .

The 26-year-old, from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, claimed first place in the Route du Rhum race after crossing the finish line in Guadaloupe, French West Indies, at 2.16am British time on Saturday.

And it was a one-two for Hampshire as Hamble's Mike Golding romped home in second place.

Watched by tens of thousands of spectators, MacArthur sailed across the Pointe-a-Pitre finish line to win the 60ft monohull class of the race in 13 days, 13 hours and 47 minutes.

This is more than two days faster than the previous record - set two races ago in 1994 by Frenchman Yves Parlier on Cacolac d'Aquitaine - of 15 days, 19 hours, 23 minutes.

MacArthur said after stepping off her yacht, Kingfisher: "That was one hell of a race. The stress levels were hardly ever below maximum. I could not have given any more, the intensity has been extraordinary."

It is the second time that MacArthur has won her class in the race - in 1998 she won the class two monohull race.

The gruelling 3,540 mile Route du Rhum, which set off from St Malo, France, on November 9, is regarded in the yachting world as one of the top two solo races.

The other is the Vendee round-the-world race in which MacArthur achieved second place last year, a result which shot her to fame and put her on the sailing map.

Ellen's victory at the weekend shows just how far she has come in recent years. She lived in a portable cabin for three years in the mid 1990s while raising sponsorship - a world away from the fame she now has.

MacArthur's mother, Avril, spoke of her pride in her daughter's achievement.

Speaking from her home in Whatstandswell, Derbyshire, she said: "We are really pleased.

"It's incredible, she has done an amazing job. She said three times it was very hard and she had to pull herself through it.

"We are very proud, she has done exceptionally well, she has given her all."

MacArthur's project manager, Mark Turner, said the victory was one of the most important of her solo career.

He said: "There are two big races in the solo sailing scene - the Route du Rhum and the Vendee round-the-world.

"The Route du Rhum is just as revered because it is a tough race, just because it is shorter than the Vendee doesn't make it easier and it certainly wasn't this time for Ellen.

"It is also important personally for Ellen because it is likely to be her last solo race in Kingfisher as she is looking to race in multi-hulls next."

MacArthur's victory followed a tight race against fellow Briton Mike Golding, from Hamble, aboard Ecover. He came in a close second.

MacArthur said: "Mike (Golding) sailed a fantastic race, pushed us both to our limits and beyond. I am disappointed for him, but of course elated to have held on to the lead.

"The final miles were tense. I share this victory with the team that helped me here.

"I didn't get here alone though, this result is due to the hours of hard work and dedication of my team ashore, before and during the race, and a great team of technical partners."

A spokesman for Kingfisher Challenges explained that the battle over the 3,540 miles of the race had been furious and hard-fought.

He said that from the St Malo start, Golding and MacArthur opted for a more northerly route than the pre-race favourite, Frenchman Roland Jourdain on Sill.

He added that the intensity took its toll on both MacArthur and Golding.

Both exploded their spinnakers a week out from the finish.

This information was not released at the time by MacArthur for tactical reasons, but two days before Golding she lost her big spinnaker, according to the Kingfisher spokesman.

Both were forced to climb the mast to keep their ocean racing machines at 100 per cent pace.

Arch rivals for 13 days of boat-to-boat combat, Mike and Ellen had time to discuss their races on Saturday night - comparing technical problems, analysing good and bad decisions and sharing some frightening stories of climbing the mast.

"At one point from the top of the mast, the rain was so hard, I couldn't see the deck!" explained Mike, sharing his particularly difficult spinnaker untangling exercise.

Ellen said: "I think for both Mike and I climbing the mast in those conditions was the hardest part of the race.

"You know you must go up there as soon as possible to get the boat back to full speed, but you know it's going to hurt.

"I don't get lonely at sea on my own, but there is no question that being at the top of the mast looking down on the boat surfing along is not a particularly relaxing occupation," added MacArthur after her epic victory.