Velux 5 Oceans - Nine entries one year out from start

3:36 PM Mon 5 Oct 2009 GMT

'Bernard Stamm at the finish of Velux 5 Oceans 2007' onEdition &copy Click Here to view large photo

Just one year before the start, the Velux 5 Oceans race is shaping up to be the most successful for a decade.

This classic, which pits one person in a racing yacht against the elements across five oceans, has rightly been described as The Ultimate Solo Challenge since it was started as the BOC Challenge in 1982. The organisers have already received nine entry forms and deposits from skippers across seven nations, and are answering enquiries from many others from all around the world.

This winter will see major preparations as the contestants ready themselves for their great adventure, a solo circumnavigation of the world south of the three great Capes, which has only been achieved by 173 people in history. There is ?500,000 in prizemoney, the highest offered in offshore racing, so the smallest mistake, whether a navigational error or a vital piece of equipment failing, can be very costly. With stops in Cape Town, Wellington, Salvador (Brazil) and Charleston, the sailors know that their ocean crossings have to be treated as sprints. But those oceans can be treacherous and unforgiving, and nothing can be left to chance.

Speaking as Race Chairman, legendary yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston concluded, 'The Velux 5 Oceans looks set to be one of the biggest races in our twenty seven year history and we are in a strong position with one year to race start. We now have to take the Velux 5 Oceans forward as we countdown to the starting gun, and we expect to make a number of announcements over the coming weeks and months regarding our skippers, the Eco 60 Class, more details on our skipper support package and a number of activities built around the core value of sustainability shared by a number of our partners.'

Sustainability is the core value of the Velux group going forward. Not only do the Velux products seek to educate and encourage sustainable living in our homes, the Velux group has committed to reduce their corporate carbon footprint by 50% by 2020, an ambitious and praiseworthy goal. This shared value of sustainability will be developed over the coming months by the race management, and a complete package of activities and initiatives will be announced, encompassing the race organisation, the participating skippers, the Eco 60 Class concept and rules, the onshore activities in stopovers and the worldwide audience following the race online and in the media.

For the festive weekend of the race start, the Velux Group will showcase a zero energy concept house and have the prize ceremony of the International Velux Award for students of architecture, with a focus on sustainable living.

'We are very pleased to see sustainability being part of the race as the Velux Group is committed to this agenda. We strongly promote the principles of Active House - buildings do not have to be energy consuming at all, they can be energy producing - and internally we have set a goal of reducing our CO2 emission by 50% in 2020,' says Chief Marketing Officer, Michael Rasmussen, the Velux Group.

Velux 5 Oceans - The Ultimate Solo Challenge
The Velux 5 Oceans is the oldest single-handed round the world yacht race. Run every four years since 1982, the race is the longest and toughest event for any individual in any sport. The Velux 5 Oceans is a series of five high-pressure ocean sprints within a marathon circumnavigation. In the course of the 30,000 mile race, the skippers cross five oceans alone. The next Velux 5 Oceans will take place 2010-2011.

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by Tim Kelly

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