Neal wrote:

Legal and responsible racing cannot include long-distance
solo sailing racing by definition. Neither little Ellen nor
anybody else is capable of sight or hearing while they
are asleep, exhausted below in a speeding sailboat.

***********

So accept her feat for what it was: a marvelous stunt.

Much like going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Many people have tried
it, and some have survived the attempt to become the home town hero for
a week or two.There's no doubt it requires courage beyond what most
people could muster- but it doesn't make the activity either useful or
well advised and certainly should not serve as an inspiration for every
yahoo along the river who just happens to own a barrel.

Ellen displayed a lot of guts to undertake her stunt, and no small
amount of fortitude to complete it. Her sponsors will undoubtedly
receive satisfactory returns on their investments as every bit of gear
that was aboard that boat will now be marketed with a burst on the
packaging, "Broke the solo circumnavigation record with Ellen!"
(actually, "broke" is a negative word in marketing, will probably say
"set").

We marvel at her accomplishment because most of us realize that we
would be unlikely to attempt anything similar. Some will even say, "I'm
brave enough, and fit enough, and sailor enough to do that well or
better- but I'm too fricking smart to try"....sure.

She did a remarkable thing, but like those previously engaged in the
same activity she was perfroming a stunt moreso than completing a
voyage.