The first woman to sail solo and non-stop around the world in both directions has been given a chair made from re-cycled sails by the Green Blue, the RYA’ s ecology body.

Sarah Black, project manager for the Green Blue presented Dee with the directors’ chair which she will relate to considering her own mainsail was fit for nothing except the recycling bin after it shredded while she was only halfway round in the Vendee Globe Race.

Dee, said: “This is such a cool chair. After watching my main fall apart it is good to see that old sails do have a use. Mind you I did get faster as the sail got worse, I think it was reverse psychology by the boat, the faster it fell apart the quicker she wanted to get home!”

Reefer Sails, who made the chair, ask for old sails to make into new items to prevent them going into landfill sites.