VELUX 5 OCEANS : Felipe Cubillos from Santiago de Chile wants to enter the race in the Open 60 division

19 April : Felipe Cubillos this week signed up to enter the VELUX 5 OCEANS in a quest to become the first Chilean sailor ever to circumnavigate the world single-handed. Felipe, who adds a South American flavour to the internationally diverse field of the VELUX 5 OCEANS, is surely set to become a national hero as he undertakes this unique adventure and takes on the Ultimate Solo Challenge.

Father of four Felipe, from Santiago, started sailing at the age of seven in a Sabot called « Chichester », named in honour of Sir Francis Chichester who famously circumnavigated the world on his own in 1967 aboard Gypsy Moth IV. Felipe then progressed onto numerous other classes such as Lightning, Laser, J-24 and oceans boats. Importantly, he was member of the Chilean Olympic and Pan-American sailing teams and skipper of a Swan 46 and 47, and is currently tactician of a new IMS 46.

Speaking from Santiago de Chile, Felipe, a lawyer and successful entrepreneur, announced, “I am very excited to announce my entry in the VELUX 5 OCEANS and race against such a strong field of sailors. I plan to learn from them, sail fast, select the right tactics, and arrive safely at the end. I am determined to be the first Chilean to complete a single-handed around-the-world race, and cannot wait to be the first boat to fly the Chilean flag around Cape Horn in a single-handed race. It has been my lifelong dream to sail the Southern Oceans alone and I am looking forward to being on the start line in Bilbao.”

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Chairman of Clipper Ventures who organise the VELUX 5 OCEANS, added, “We warmly welcome Felipe into this unique club of intrepid heroes. We pride ourselves on being accessible to people from all walks of life who dream of sailing around the world single-handed. This race pitches the elite solo sailors of the IMOCA circuit, such as Mike Golding and Bernard Stamm, against amateur sailors for whom this race is the ultimate challenge of their lives. However, there is no reason to believe that dedicated and determined individuals such as Felipe do not pose a threat to the winning podium. In this race, anything is possible.”

Felipe, 43, has founded a number of businesses in Chile, including a yachting marina in Southern Chile, a salmon hatchery and a business to business organisation called SeNegocia, based in Santiago. Felipe, who is still finalising agreements with sponsors and the acquisition of a suitable Open 60 yacht, plans to start formal training for the race in May.

March 30 : Graham Dalton launches his new Open 50 built in New Zealand

A new 50-foot yacht on which Graham Dalton will sail in this year’s single-handed around the world race, the VELUX 5 OCEANS today made its first sea voyage from Lyttelton, New Zealand to Auckland on a Pacifica Shipping coastal vessel. The carbon fibre composite hull, made by Davie Norris Boatbuilders of Bromley in Christchurch, will be fitted out in Auckland prior to the start of the race which begins in Bilbao, Spain on 22nd October.

“Moving the two-and-a-half tonne load on a special cradle by coastal ship was the safest way to transport the mirror-smooth and vulnerable body of the hybrid racing yacht” Graham said.

Named “A Southern Man – AGD”, it is the first Open 50 class yacht built in New Zealand and features a canting keel and nine-metre retractable centreboard amongst other high-tech gear to aid solo ocean racing. The letters AGD have been added to the boat’s name in memory of Graham’s 23-year-old son, Tony, who died in December last year. “Tony had resolved to give a name to the yacht and follow the race, but it wasn’t to be,” he said. “By having his initials and photo affixed on the sides, he will be going with me in spirit and we can complete together what he wanted to do.”

Graham said he expected the 30,000 nautical mile race, which will make just two stops in Australia and the USA, to take around 140 days. “After the frustration of being forced to retire on leg three of the 2002 Around Alone race, I am treating this one as unfinished business,” he said. “Although I am four years older and this is the most mentally and physically punishing event imaginable, I am determined to make the finishing line this time around.”

Tim Troy is first US entry announced at the Miami Boat Show aboard the ex-Petit Navire Open 60

16 February : Ocean skipper Tim Troy of Crownsville Maryland (USA) today announced his entry in the Velux 5 Oceans. Tim will line up at the start in Bilbao (Spain) on October 22, 2006 to compete against a truly international field that features some of the top names in single-handed ocean racing, including the current FICO World Champion Mike Golding, 2002 champion Bernard Stamm, Conrad Humphreys, Derek Hatfield and Alex Thomson. Tim will lead the American challenge in his new boat, a French design Open 60 that may yet prove to be the surprise contender in what already looks to be a very competitive fleet.

Tim, a 46-year old managing director of Delmarva Company and Pan Florida Land Development, is a seasoned ocean sailor and has pulled out the stops in his plans to circumnavigate the globe alone. Speaking from the Miami Boat Show, he concluded, “Sailing around the world in the Velux 5 Oceans has been a life-long ambition and I am definitely up for the challenge. Having secured a top class boat to enter the race, I believe I now have a fantastic platform for a title sponsor to join my campaign. However, with or without commercial sponsorship, I will be on the starting line to fly the flag for the USA and I believe that I can win this international event.” With a title sponsor, Tim believes he could be the 1st American to win in the Open 60 class.

Troy is a two-time winner of the Bermuda 1-2 race, a single-handed competition between Newport, RI and Bermuda. Tim is in top physical shape with more than 100,000 nautical miles under his keel and strongly believes he is up to the challenge. He recently purchased (ndr : to Loic Pochet, his Open 60 is a ’98 Nivelt Design knew as Petit Navire) a French Open 60 built by the Mag OCEA group in 1998, the same builder that built the PRB, the boat that won back-to-back Vendée Globe races.

The new boat, named after his two daughters Margaret and Anna, is 60 foot in length and weighs just 9 tons. She has a beam of 19.25 feet and draws 14.75 feet. The keel accounts for 3.5 tons of the total boat weight. It is a unique cantilever design that allows for maximum performance and speed. There is also a water ballast system and a forward dagger board to improve up-wind performance. During the transatlantic crossing from France to the United States, the boat consistently exceeded 20 knots and Troy believes she is capable of much more.

For more information on Tim Troy and the Margaret Anna Open 60 : www.sailamericaone.org.

Mike Golding officially announced his intention to participate • « This race remains unfinished business for me ! »

Bilbao, Spain 7th February 2006 : Today in Bilbao, British skipper Mike Golding and team sponsor Mick Bremans, Managing Director of Ecover, officially announced their intention to participate in the Velux 5 Oceans, the solo around the world race that will start from Bilbao, Spain on 22nd October 2006.

Golding, the current IMOCA and FICO World Champion, is still looking for the ultimate success – to win an international solo round the world race.

“The Velux 5 Oceans appeals for two reasons,” explains Mike Golding. “This race, formerly the Around Alone, remains unfinished business for me ! It is the only event I have not completed in my professional sailing career and provides me with an immediate opportunity to go for a bullet in a major solo around the world race”.

“The Velux 5 Oceans is a race that is attractive for competitors, sponsors and race followers. In many respects it has all the potential to become the foremost IMOCA event. A solo around the world event with stopovers creates truly global opportunities for sponsoring companies, as well as creating an exciting and competitive course for the teams involved.”

Mick Bremans, Managing Director of Ecover added : “For an international company like Ecover, the Velux 5 Oceans offers us a great promotional platform worldwide, (especially given the number of nationalities participating). We are delighted that Mike is up for another solo around the world race as it will allow Ecover to reach important new and emerging markets.”

Mike Golding, whose Open 60 ECOVER is now in a refit and modification for the race, hopes his participation will encourage other IMOCA skippers to take on the challenge. “With teams from Canada, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, UK and France actively working towards the race, this could easily become a fantastic nation v nation event, something not previously seen in the class,” mused Golding.

“I am particularly delighted that Swiss sailor Bernard Stamm (the 2002 winner) has also announced his participation. I believe the Velux 5 Oceans can deliver on all counts and the race will provide us with further opportunities to develop our team for the future,” concluded Golding.

• Velux 5 Oceans – The Route

 22nd October 2006 Start of leg 1 from Bilbao, Spain
 Early December ETA in Fremantle, West Australia
 14th January 2007 Start of leg 2 from Fremantle
 Early March ETA in Florida, USA
 15th April 2007 Start of leg 3 from Florida
 Late April ETA finish in Bilbao

Info Coralie Rassinoux / http://www.mikegolding.com

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston names David Adams as the official Race Director

Southampton, 5 December 2005 : Clipper Ventures, the AIM-listed company founded by British sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, today announced the appointment of David Adams as the official Race Director for the VELUX 5 Oceans, the oldest, most established and continuously run single-handed round the world yacht race. The race sets off from Bilbao, Spain in October 2006, and visits Australia and the United States.

Australian yachtsman David Adams is no stranger to round the world races and the VELUX 5 Oceans. He competed twice in the BOC Challenge solo around the world yacht race (now the VELUX 5 Oceans), was Co-Race Director for The Race and safety consultant for the Vendee Globe. In 1995, he won Class 2 of the BOC Challenge aboard True Blue, slashing 10 days off the record.

David, 51, qualified as a captain in the merchant navy before becoming a professional yachtsman. He has logged more than 200,000 miles competing in some of the world’s great ocean races. He was awarded Australian Yachtsman of the Year in 1995-96. In 2000-2001 he was based in Paris as co-Race Director (with Denis Horeau) of The Race, a non-stop round the world race in giant catamarans. In 2004-05 David was southern ocean safety consultant for the Vendée Globe non-stop solo round the world race, which was won by Frenchman Vincent Riou.

Commenting on the appointment, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Chairman of Clipper Ventures PLC, said “We are delighted to be able to announce the appointment of David as race director for the VELUX 5 Oceans. David was our number one target for this important position, given his experience not only with the race in the past, but his reputation on the back of his involvement in the Race and the Vendee Globe. In our opinion, David is the perfect choice to take the VELUX 5 Oceans into the next exciting stage in the race’s prestigious history and deliver a world class event.”

David, who currently lives in Sydney, added, “I am pleased to be able to accept this honour from Sir Robin. This event and its competitors have been close to my heart since the first BOC Challenge in 1982 and I look forward to the challenge that the VELUX 5 Oceans presents as the race is re-invented for the future.” David will join the VELUX 5 Oceans team permanently as of January 2006.

The VELUX 5 Oceans is the longest and toughest event, for any individual in any sport. The race has a rich heritage, having been contested every 4 years since 1982, previously under the titles of ‘Around Alone’ and ‘BOC Challenge’. In 2006, the race’s 25th Jubilee year, the event is getting even tougher. The legs between ports are now longer and the stopovers fewer and more compact - with a shorter window of preparation for the next leg. By the end of the event, skippers will have sailed 30,000 miles of ocean alone, facing all the extremes that nature can throw at them.

The unique Grand Prix format, calling at international ports in different continents, gives the VELUX 5 Oceans a truly global appeal, on and off the water, on an affordable scale for skippers, sponsors and commercial partners.