In December, British sailor Ellen MacArthur won the Route du Rhum, a prestigious singlehanded race from France to Guadeloupe, in record-breaking time. She was the first woman ever to win. The victory earned the 26-year-old worldwide renown, and she was made a Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. Now MacArthur is after an even bigger prize. Last week she set sail with a crew of 13 men aboard Kingfisher 2, her 110-foot catamaran, to break the nonstop circumnavigation record of 64 days 8 hours 37 minutes 24 seconds to win what is known as the Jules Verne Trophy. MacArthur met with NEWSWEEK’s Dana Thomas in the French port of Lorient, where the team was busy with final preparations, to talk about the allure of sailing and the mysteries of the sea. Excerpts:

THOMAS: Why have you decided to attempt to break the circumnavigation record?

MACARTHUR: It’s a very pure thing to sail around the world as fast as you can. When I did the Vendee Globe in 2000–the singlehanded nonstop circumnavigation race–I thought, “What’s next?” I decided why not go around the world with a crew on a big one and try to break the record?

It took two years for you to get the project together. What did that entail?

First we had to secure a boat. We bought Kingfisher 2, which last year, when it was known as Orange, broke the Jules Verne record. Then we had to refit the boat and pull a crew together. We train on the boat and off. Every morning we’re in the gym by 6:45–two days swimming, two days gym, two days sports like basketball. Then we go out to sea. We’ve done several 24-, 36-, 48-, 60-hour trips, sailing around in a box, to test the boat out.

What do you learn about yourself by sailing around the world?

You work very hard, because you’re not out there just to go cruise around the world. You’re out there to push as hard as you can, up to and beyond your limits. You learn how much you sleep. In the first single-handed transatlantic race I did, my average sleep was four hours, 20 minutes in every 24. And in the first four days of the Route du Rhum, I averaged one and a half hours’ sleep in every 24. When the data came back I couldn’t believe it. I knew I hadn’t slept a lot. But that was amazing.

What is the boat to you?

The boat, when you are on land, is a dream, because that’s all you are thinking about. And when you’re at sea, it’s your lifeline.

Have you ever been scared?

Sure, I’ve been in some fairly hairy situations, but you just deal with it because you don’t have an option. You get most frightened when it’s for someone else’s safety, because it’s out of your control. I remember once during a race in 1996, I was on the helm with another guy and I was wearing a harness and he wasn’t. We were swapping over in a force 11 storm and he got washed to the back of the boat and nearly over the side. Luckily he hit the frame of the boat. If he hadn’t, he would have gone straight over. That was pretty scary.

Why are there no women in your crew?

I chose the people who were right for the job. It wasn’t a choice between men and women. It was a choice between people.

How do you feel when you are called the fastest female sailor?

It’s a bit frustrating. There is no difference between men and women in offshore racing. You are out there with the rest of them, going through the same problems, sailing the same boats. I’m not as strong as some of those guys. Some of those guys aren’t as strong as other guys. Some can climb, some can’t climb. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses.

What’s the most difficult part of sailing?

The unpredictability. You can never say, “I’m going to go sleep now for an hour,” because you never know what’s going to happen. And that’s part of the challenge.

What’s the most difficult part of finishing a race?

Getting off the boat. Without a doubt. You spent all of your life dreaming about being out there, doing races. When there’s an end and you can see the finish line, it’s all over.

Do you have any superstitions or special routines?

Don’t set sail on a Friday. Don’t say the word “rabbit” on the boat, because they used to gnaw the hulls. If anyone says it you have to scratch the mast.

Why did you become a sailor?

I loved the freedom. You can get on a boat and go around the world, with only the wind.

What do you love about the sea?

So many facets. It’s always a challenge. You can never understand it. You should never try to. You should always respect it. We are minuscule on the scale of things. Truly.