The Ellen Show

For the past two months, while the rest of us have either been rejoicing in our rare winter sun or lamenting the lack of snow, young Ellen MacArthur sailed around the world and into the record books. Although she's a Brit, and her route never brought her within 10,000 miles of our beloved Puget Sound, Seattlest is not about to let a little geography get in the way of celebrating her achievement.

The 28-year-old smashed the previous solo circumnavigation record by more than 32 hours, clocking in at 71 days, 14 hours, and 18 minutes—averaging 15.9 knots (18.3mph)—and with a maximum speed of over 30 knots, her B&Q trimaran could outpace the Victoria Clipper. Often flying one or two hulls out of the water, there's not much time for sleeping, cooking, or doing laundry. Ellen slept, on average, less than five hours per day in a series of short naps. New parents will know exactly how that feels, although without the added thrill of the mountainous waves encountered in the Southern Ocean.

Perhaps you need more of a local reason to care about sailing? Follow Shilshole's world-renowned yacht designer, Paul Bieker, as he competes at the International 14 World Championships which conclude on Saturday. While he's currently sitting 53rd, he has plenty to be happy about, as much of his competition are sailing on hulls of his design. And there's also the recent news that he'll be leading the structural design of Team BMW Oracle Racing's two new America's Cup yachts, which are to be built right here in Seattle.