Kingfisher joins Ellen onboard Foncia

by Kingfisher Challenges Media on 4 Apr 2001 'Kingfisher' the 60 foot monohull is upgraded for Atlantic crewed racing and Ellen
prepares to join Alain Gautier's 60 foot trimaran 'Foncia'

As 'Kingfisher' the monohull prepares to be re-launched for the first regatta at the end of April,
Ellen's sponsor has announced that they will join her onboard Alain Gautier's 60 foot trimaran
'Foncia' as a secondary sponsor for the year.

Supported by the colours of Kingfisher, and its three main French brands - Castorama, Darty and
BUT, Ellen will head offshore once again bound for the Atlantic Ocean in early May.

In between book writing, Ellen has also been working hard with her technical team debriefing on
the Vendée race, lessons learnt and things to improve onboard 'Kingfisher', the 60 foot monohull
she successfully raced around the globe. 'Kingfisher' is currently in a boat yard in Caen,
Normandy, France undergoing final post Vendée checks and repairs - principally to damage
caused to keel, daggerboard and rudder in the collision just a few weeks before the finish.

Ellen's co-skipper for the year onboard 'Kingfisher', Nick Moloney, assisted by long-standing
shore team member Pipo Cairo, and the team at 'V1D2' are implementing a number of important
improvements for the 2001 season including weight savings compared with the Vendée
configuration, composite headstays and a partially new set of 3DL sails optimised for the
non-solo racing 'Kingfisher' will be doing this year.

Upgrades to winches and other elements of deck layout are also being carried out to improve
efficiency with a crew.

Ellen explains the work; 'Kingfisher is in great shape still, even after the equivalent of two
complete tours of the globe. We are not making any major changes to the concept of her at all,
just logical improvements and changes for a non-Vendée season. The competition is going to be
tough though, so we are optimising her for Atlantic crewed racing. I can't wait to get back to sea
on her'

The first race is not far away now - Ellen will rejoin her beloved yacht in Fecamp, northern
France on April 30, for a week long series of inshore and mini-offshore races in the Trophy
Coralia.

Ellen will then head to Cherbourg, where the 60 foot trimaran fleet will be assembled for the start
of the Challenge Mondial Assistance - Ellen's first race onboard these 3 hulled spaceships.

May 12 is the start of this opening offshore 'marathon at a sprint pace' from Cherbourg, out to the
Azores in the Atlantic and then south in to the Mediterranean, and the Spanish port of Tarragon
(near Barcelona). Along with her Kingfisher flags, she'll be joining 'Foncia-Kingfisher' as crew for
this first event - and ultimately as co-skipper in the Transat Jacques Vabre at the end of the year.
Its time for steep learning curves again....

Key dates coming up :
April 9 : UK launch of 'Taking on the World' video
April 18 : Ellen brief appearance at Sail Expo, San Francisco
April 29 - May 5 : Fecamp Monohull invitation regatta for 'Kingfisher'
May 12 - 20 : Challenge Mondial Assistance Multihull race from Cherbourg, France to Tarragon,
Spain