Viking
Well-Known Member
Not surprising. Its a young persons sport!!!
Dame Ellen retires from sailing
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Bajansailor
Well-Known Member
I found this article about her in an old issue of YM from 1995
ninky
Well-Known Member
inspiring adventures but don't get her to programme your ipod....phil collins and coldplay?!! what, if you were stranded on a desert island you would really pick those over any other music. ever?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mz6jq
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mz6jq
robp
Well-Known Member
We shouldn't forget that our "lifestyle" has largely been obtained by exporting our pollution to China. It's a bit too easy for the effect of our toys to be swept under their carpet. Yes there is RoHS but our goods are still made there.
Sorry for the drift.
David_Jersey
Well-Known Member
I can't say I recall much by the way of any anti-Ellen sentiment here or elsewhere.
Whilst I could take issue with the ranking of acheivements, life is too short
But now that Ellen has left the field of minority interest / impact sporting (?) acheivements and into Politics (and from the sound of it straight into David Icke style Eco-Fascism) she can no longer expect to trade under the "plucky little Ellen" title, especially as she is now approaching middle age
Making a living from sh#tting in the ricebowl of others ain't cost free. It's big boys / girls rules.But on the other hand, beats working I guess
Litotes
Well-Known Member
You are a prolific producer of offensive and gratuitous drivel and here you surpass yourself. Mind you, that's pretty much what I have come to expect from an "adult" who has yet to grow out of playing pirates.
jason -and the arguenauts
Well-Known Member
Come on now girls! Handbags at dawn? Surely not.
We have a long tradition of happily listening to and taking notice of the famous when they talk about an area where they have no expertise. Lots of actors for example, drivel on about politics. Some even get involved successfully - like the Gurkha woman. Why not Ellen on the environment?
We have a long tradition of happily listening to and taking notice of the famous when they talk about an area where they have no expertise. Lots of actors for example, drivel on about politics. Some even get involved successfully - like the Gurkha woman. Why not Ellen on the environment?
David_Jersey
Well-Known Member
I thank you
It's not easy you know 
(BTW I see that you have not turned down your invite to play pirates
)Litotes
Well-Known Member
If she brings half the intelligence, determination and energy she's brought so far to sailing and her Trust, she will make her mark - and its a mark worth making, despite the sneerers and the jeerers.
There are some people in life who build and others who pull down. I prefer the former.
Boreades
Well-Known Member
If she achieves half of what she sets out to do, it will be a great achievement. Apart from huge willpower and dedication, Ellen has a fantastic ability to listen and learn.
One of the greatest Top Gear clips is her driving the test track, and in case you never seen the episode, let's just say it was GREAT!.
I wish her well.
One of the greatest Top Gear clips is her driving the test track, and in case you never seen the episode, let's just say it was GREAT!.
I wish her well.
jason -and the arguenauts
Well-Known Member
Is it? Does she have the scientific training to make a worthwhile contribution? I ask because I dont know.
Over many many years we had the famous campaigning along with a lot of others against nuclear energy. They managed to put the fear of the dark into the British population and the industry was stopped dead in its tracks. No nuclear stations were ordered for decades. The result is that now we need it, we havent got a nuclear industry or the technical skills. Uninformed prejudice won out for no better reason that that the holders of those prejudices could get on the box and into the papers.
I've nothing but admiration for Ellens sailing feats but unless she has some technical basis for comment, her opinions on the environmental debate justified no more publicity than yours or mine. Or to put it another way, it's a misuse of her fame .
photodog
Lord High Commander of Upper Broughton and Gunthor
Ellen has now been doing this for nearly 3 years.... she has been working quite closely with Eon as part of their "Changing Energy" campaign to get businesses in particular to think about how they use energy... and has been working as well with their educational programs and has been attending events that Eon holds with school including the Eon energy conference.
She is odviously also doing a lot of stuff on her own as well.... but she is very keen and goes down very well, especially with young people.
What I have found refreshing about her contributions at some fairly weighty events, is how she has been able to cut through all the techno-corporate-political talk and get right down to the basics and why this is important.
I am surprised that she has made this announcment.... as it was pretty odvious a couple of years back that she had no intention of doing anymore major competitive events for the foreseeable future, as she wanted to concentrate on developing the trust and her interests in the enviroment. and in fact she said this in my company on a couple of occasions.....
I think that she is concious of the problems that people like Tracey Edwards have had, who have not converted their success in sailing into a long term sustainable enterprise...
Anyone who thinks that she is "Past it" has rocks in their heads... last time I saw her she was still the fittest woman I have ever met.... and doesnt look like she has aged a day since she got off of B and Q.
She is odviously also doing a lot of stuff on her own as well.... but she is very keen and goes down very well, especially with young people.
What I have found refreshing about her contributions at some fairly weighty events, is how she has been able to cut through all the techno-corporate-political talk and get right down to the basics and why this is important.
I am surprised that she has made this announcment.... as it was pretty odvious a couple of years back that she had no intention of doing anymore major competitive events for the foreseeable future, as she wanted to concentrate on developing the trust and her interests in the enviroment. and in fact she said this in my company on a couple of occasions.....
I think that she is concious of the problems that people like Tracey Edwards have had, who have not converted their success in sailing into a long term sustainable enterprise...
Anyone who thinks that she is "Past it" has rocks in their heads... last time I saw her she was still the fittest woman I have ever met.... and doesnt look like she has aged a day since she got off of B and Q.
Scotty_Tradewind
Well-Known Member
I'm now well into my sixties.
This young woman is amongst a handful of humans that have inspired me in life.
She was the main driving force that encouraged me to buy my own small yacht to experience in a small way some of what I had read in her writings.
She still has an innocence and an inspiring zest for life.Thank goodness such people exist.
A pity that some people are so shallow that they have to find a way to be critical of her in such a negative way. Some of the attitudes expressed and postings are barely suitable for The Lounge!
Curve..... you shouldn't rise to the bait next time....... I read it the way you intended it.
This young woman is amongst a handful of humans that have inspired me in life.
She was the main driving force that encouraged me to buy my own small yacht to experience in a small way some of what I had read in her writings.
She still has an innocence and an inspiring zest for life.Thank goodness such people exist.
A pity that some people are so shallow that they have to find a way to be critical of her in such a negative way. Some of the attitudes expressed and postings are barely suitable for The Lounge!
Curve..... you shouldn't rise to the bait next time....... I read it the way you intended it.
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alan_d
Well-Known Member
(BTW I see that you have not turned down your invite to play pirates
How do you decline the invitation? I have this permanent "Your Notifications: 1" indicator. How can I get it to go away?
David_Jersey
Well-Known Member
I can't 100% remember
I think when you open up the invite you get to choose yay or nay.......and nay makes it go away.In any event I have canx'd the invite from this end - which should do the trick
webcraft
Well-Known Member
Nuclear power - if we must . . .
I WAS one of those 'uninformed' protestors. I now believe we probably DO need a new generation of nukes to keep the lights on - but only because it took society far too long to get to grips with the concept of clean energy and the impossibility of continuing to rely purely on fossil fuels. Using a moderated chain reaction to boil water is not particularly clever or efficient, and when mining and decommissoning is taken into account the carbon footprint is still substantial. Sadly it is the best we can do at the moment due to the incredible short-sightedness of the great and good who decide (or fail to decide) future energy policy in this country.
- W
It wasn't uninformed prejudice. Nuclear power stations are an inefficient and inelegant way of making electricity, and while modern plants may be pretty safe they are not bombproof. More significantly, decomissioning problems re. long term storage have still not been solved.
I WAS one of those 'uninformed' protestors. I now believe we probably DO need a new generation of nukes to keep the lights on - but only because it took society far too long to get to grips with the concept of clean energy and the impossibility of continuing to rely purely on fossil fuels. Using a moderated chain reaction to boil water is not particularly clever or efficient, and when mining and decommissoning is taken into account the carbon footprint is still substantial. Sadly it is the best we can do at the moment due to the incredible short-sightedness of the great and good who decide (or fail to decide) future energy policy in this country.
- W
ninky
Well-Known Member
listening to the show, ellen suggested that sailing gives you a better perspective on sustainable living. whilst i agree that this may be the case while afloat i certainly don't think it can be said of all the energy and activity that goes into creating and preparing a major ocean racing yacht. and ellen must know this. so i feel a little disappointed that she paints her sailing life as so innocent and fails to consider all the flights taken by experts and specialists, the transportation costs, the materials etc etc that went into making a yacht such as the one she used for the vendee. kingfisher was unnecessarily large for carrying one small person around the world and surely as much a part of the 'must go faster, must go better' mentality that has got us in this environmental pickle in the first place. so much for tearing a corner off the loo roll rather than using the whole square......that's hardly going to carbon offset the boat is it?
if we are really going to look at sustainable sailing then surely it's more the likes of 'the simple sailor' roger taylor in his little junk-rigged corribee. sailing engineless, keeping a small older boat going, doing most of the work yourself and using local skills and materials. these are things that we should be looking to for inspiration.
ellen is great. i hope she realises what she is taking on is a far bigger challenge than the vendee ever could be. it's likely to put her out of favour with many who previously admired her. she also needs to realise that people will look at how she has lived and lives her own life in far greater detail - and she needs to be ready to take the criticism.
if we are really going to look at sustainable sailing then surely it's more the likes of 'the simple sailor' roger taylor in his little junk-rigged corribee. sailing engineless, keeping a small older boat going, doing most of the work yourself and using local skills and materials. these are things that we should be looking to for inspiration.
ellen is great. i hope she realises what she is taking on is a far bigger challenge than the vendee ever could be. it's likely to put her out of favour with many who previously admired her. she also needs to realise that people will look at how she has lived and lives her own life in far greater detail - and she needs to be ready to take the criticism.
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claymore
Well-Known Member
Ellen
Well, I think she is great and wish her well in this new direction. I'm sure that if she applies the drive and conviction that have been evident in her previous challenges, then she will achieve great things. All credit to her.
Well, I think she is great and wish her well in this new direction. I'm sure that if she applies the drive and conviction that have been evident in her previous challenges, then she will achieve great things. All credit to her.
Sandyman
Well-Known Member
No more sailing for Ellen as she sets out to save the world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8289226.stm
Has she asked GB's permission.
Moodyjim
Well-Known Member
No - he would only refuse in case it stole some of his thunder
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