Ellen boards mock trimaran

The yachtswoman has tried out living conditions on the trimaran

Yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur has been trying out her new racing vessel - before it has even been built.

Miss MacArthur's team, Team Kingfisher, is currently building the vessel in Australia to enable the 27-year-old to compete in trans-ocean and solo 24-hour distance races.

But before the vessel is completed at the renowned Boatspeed boat yard in Sydney the designers wanted to make sure it came up to size for Miss MacArthur.

So a life-size mock-up has been created at the Team MacArthur base in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

Made out of MDF, the model replicates the cockpit, the navigation and accommodation areas of the trimaran.

The 75ft solo trimaran is under construction in Australia

The aim is to make sure that all the equipment is in easy reach and in the best possible positions for Miss MacArthur.

Neil Graham, technical director for Team Kingfisher, said: "There is only so much that can be done on paper.

"We need to check that the deck layout suits her size and reach.

"With a MDF mock-up you can muck around with it - it's easy to chop and change.

It really is like a massive jigsaw puzzle - piece by piece it is coming together to produce the final picture Ellen MacArthur

"Whereas altering the boat further down the line is far more expensive and time consuming."

Miss MacArthur said that the design of her new trimaran has greatly impressed her.

She said: "It is very similar in size and depth to Kingfisher - there is no need to have a cavernous area down below."

As the mock-up nears completion in the UK, on the other side of the world, the moulds for the main hull, floats and beams are currently being constructed.

The core of the main hull is almost complete and work to laminate it has already begun.

Miss MacArthur said: "It really is like a massive jigsaw puzzle. Piece by piece it is coming together to produce the final picture."

The trimaran is expected to be ready to be launched in December.