Richards goes solo
By Ellen MacArthur BBC Sport Online

Emma Richards sets sail on her next great adventure when she embarks on the Around Alone, a five-leg solo lap of the planet which begins in New York on 15 September.

She will be competing against 12 other world-class skippers who will sail in an easterly direction around the world via England, South Africa, New Zealand and Brazil, finishing back in New York in April.

Richards' biggest challenge

Emma's a very determined person, who over the last few years has amassed a massive amount of experience in all sorts of different boats - from 100ft catamarans to Volvo 60s to 60ft trimarans.

And I know her resolve, and the skills she has picked up, should stand her in good stead and give her a great chance.

Richards is very determined

But this is her biggest sailing challenge so far.

Any single-handed race really does test you to your maximum.

She raced in a transatlantic race last year, the Europe 1 New Man Star from Plymouth to America, and found it hard.

But she has obviously summoned the determination to race solo again which is great.

The Around Alone and the Vendee Globe which I sailed in are quite different.

But the qualities and skills needed to be a solo sailor are very similar - the ability to function, and race, on your own for up to 30 days with little sleep in a cold, wet, hostile environment.

The Around Alone is like a series of transatlantic races so the pace is a bit faster than the Vendee Globe.

But the big difference is that seamanship is such a massive part of the Vendee because you have to keep yourself and boat together for such a long period of time.

The Around Alone does have stops so you can recuperate and repair the boat.

If you push too hard and break something, the race is not all over whereas in the Vendee Globe that is exactly case.

The Route du Rhum will be Ellen's last race on Kingfisher

When we were planning the 2000 Vendee Globe campaign in 1998 we had two options - the Around Alone or Route du Rhum (France to Guadeloupe in the Caribbean).

In the end we decided we would not be sufficiently ready for the Around Alone as it is a serious race you have to prepare properly for.

But it would have been great experience for the Vendee Globe because of the southern ocean legs.

So we went for the Route du Rhum instead and I will be coming full circle, sailing in it again on Kingfisher - for the last time - in November.

Because the two races overlap, the fleet that usually competes in these races, the Open 60 fleet, will be split.

But there will be several very experienced skippers in the Around Alone such as Thierry Dubois, who has done two or three Vendee Globes.

I will have my work cut out in the Route du Rhum but I will certainly keep my eyes on how Emma is doing.

Ellen MacArthur will be keeping us up to date with her preparations for the Route du Rhum and the Jules Verne record attempt and will continue to give us her thoughts on Britain's America's Cup bid.