Ellen MacArthur has put sailing on hold to focus on climate change...

Ellen MacArthur, round-the-world yachtswoman, has been inspired to do her bit to save the planet by what she has seen at sea.

Four years after becoming the fastest person to sail around the world alone, Dame Ellen MacArthur is giving up ocean racing – to save the planet. She is so anxious about the threat to the environment she will abandon any new marine expeditions.

Her conversion came during a journey to South Georgia in the south Atlantic where she spent two months investigating the plight of the albatross, the giant sea-faring bird which is under threat from hooks used in long-line fishing.

Dame Ellen said: "After being on South Georgia, the more I researched, the more frightened I got. And that has scared me to the point where I can't go back to sea and go round the world again because this really matters."

"When you sail on a boat you take with you the minimum of resources. You don't waste anything. You don't leave the light on; you don't leave a computer screen on. And I realised that on land we take what we want."

As reported by the Independent...