VELUX 5 OCEANS

Introduction

The VELUX 5 OCEANS is an event with an amazing heritage and a big future. Single-handed, around the world's oceans in thoroughbred racing yachts – the ultimate odyssey, the ultimate solo challenge.

Its unique Grand Prix format gives the VELUX 5 OCEANS a truly global appeal, on and off the water, on an affordable scale for skippers, sponsors and commercial partners.

Race Map

Race Format

For 2006 the race sees a new format and new route – racing from Spain to Western Australia, then to the USA eastern seaboard and the gripping transatlantic return to Bilbao in Spain. Each stopover provides sponsors with international communication, relationship building and hospitality opportunities. Stopovers are great opportunities to create impact, generate additional PR and associated promotional activities.

The multi-leg format generates increased sporting interest, with spectacular sailing, short stopovers and regular restarts. For the skippers it is the toughest challenge - effectively its “three races within one event”. Stretching their skills and endurance to the limit, pushing their hardest offshore, they have to physically and mentally recover for the adrenalin of the restarts, prepare their boats and work with the media and sponsors prior to setting off from each stopover.

Each point scoring leg of the race intensifies the competition for the skippers, which helps generate ongoing media interest – will a skipper sustain their hard won lead, or make an outstanding comeback?

THE VENDEE GLOBE

Introduction

In theory, the Vendée Globe is an utterly simple affair. Its fundamental principles come down to a few sentences, compared to which even the roughest logbook would seem sophisticated. A sailing race around the world, for singlehanders, without any stopover. That’s it. In theory at least, because beyond these words start great stories.

Official supplier of legends since 1989, this race has impressed the maritime world and the public in general, to the point where even the strongest superlatives seem unable to define it. The sea also has its mythical summit, created 15 years ago by a sailor, two times winner around the world (BOC Challenge, with stopovers), who refused to rest on his laurels.

Map

History

The Vendee Globe was created in 1989 by French solo skipper Philippe Jeantot, winner of the first two solo RTW 'BOC CHallenge' races, who envisioned 'the ultimate race that would challenge both man and machine to the limits and beyon' - and that meant a non-stop solo circumnavigation against the clock. His home port was in the Vendee region, and so the name was born.

In theory, the race itself could not be more simple. Competitors start and finsih at Les Sables d'Olonne, sailing around the world from the West to East, on a route south of the three Capes leaving Antartica - and the odd waypoint to keep the boats from venturing too far South - to starboard. The reality however is that nothing could be harder. Each competitor must battle not only the elements, from the searing heat of the tropics to the harsh, mountainous seas of the bleak Southern Ocean, but also the isolation and the mental pressures of being alone thousands of miles from the nearest land.

The first race saw 13 competitors line up at Les Sables d'Olonne in western France for the start, including Jeantot himself. Only seven of the 13 starters finished the race. Three more made it back to Les Sables d'Olonne but were disqualified for breaching the rules, one competitor capsized, and two others retired. The winner, Titouan Lamazou, on Generali Concorde, finsihed in 109 days.

For the second Vendee Globe in Novemeber 1992, 14 men lined up on the starting line. However, only seven completed the race. Tragedy marred the start of the race as American Mike Plant on Coyote was lost at sea before even reaching Les Sables d'Olonne and his overturned boat was found by a container ship in the North Atlantic.



Nigel Burgress' boat was also found off Cape Finisterre barely a month into the race, soon after the skipper had set off his distress beacons, and yet inexplicably, his dead body was discovered in the water floating in his survival suit. Other dramas in cluded the French skipper Bertrand de Broc re-sewing his own tongue back on after incurring a serious facial injury at sea. French skipper Alan Gautier on Bagages Superior was the first back to Les Sables d'Olonne in 110 days.

In 1996/97 running of the race only added to the drama and mystique of this extreme challenge, as less than half the fleet finished in a race where heroes were born and martyrs were made. Tragically, Canadian skipper Gerry Roufs on Groupe LG was lost at sea in the Southern Ocean. Two others were rescued in unimaginable conditions. Britain's Pete Goss was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, France's highest bravery award for turning back into a ferocious storm in his 50ft yacht Aqua Quorum and saving the life of a fellow competitor Raphael Dinelli. A new race record was set by winning French skipper Christophe Auguin on Geodis of 105 days. And Catherine Chabaud became the first woman to finish a Vendee Globe.

In 2000, the Vendee Globe had become even more competitive with 24 skippers on the start line from seven different countries. The tighter safety restrictions and advanced design and technology improved the boats and saw new records being set as winning French skipper Michael Desjoyeux on PRB smashed the 100 day barrier setting a new race record of 93 days. A 23 year old British girl named Ellen MacArthur dominated the headlines when she finished in second place and became the fastest female to circumnavigate the globe on Kingfisher. Race favourite, Yves Parlier on Aquitaine Innovations broke his mast whilst deep in the Southern Ocean. Undeterred, he anchored south of Stewart Island, NZ and not only repaired but re-stepped his mast single-handedly, and went on to complete the course in 126 days surviving on rations, flying fish and 'seaweed recipes'. A total of 15 skippers finished the race, the last one reached home 5 months after the start.

BARCELONA WORLD RACE

Introduction

The Barcelona World Race is a new two-handed, non-stop round the world yacht race starting on the 11th November, 2007 [and to be held every four years]. For the first time, this race will see the world's best professional sailors from both solo and fully crewed disciplines coming together to compete against each other in teams of two. Racing 25,000 miles over three months across the planet's most hostile and challenging oceans in high-performance IMOCA Open 60 monohulls. Never before has a two-handed, non-stop around the world race been staged and there has never been a crewed, non-stop round the world race in monohulls. This concept opens up a whole new world of possibilities in the sport of extreme offshore sailing both in terms of competition and race communications.

Map

Welcome to our 'Blagger's Guide' to Alex Thomson's upcoming Race Events.

This guide is designed to give you the viewer a better understanding of the three main race events that Alex Thomson will be taking part in over the next three years. We have provided you with the Race Maps, Introductions, History, and the Race Route itself. We hope that by reading through this information, you will start to get a better insight into these exciting and dangerous yachting adventures, few have managed to accomplish.

To use the 'Blagger's Guide,' click through the race logos on the right.