VELUX 5 Oceans Race

The VELUX 5 OCEANS Race is a round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed in stages. Its name comes from its main sponsor, VELUX, a Danish company. This 2006 race started in Bilbao, Spain, on October 22, 2006. Originally known as the BOC Challenge, for the title sponsor BOC Gases, the first edition was in 1982. The race was later re-named the Around Alone; the current race is called the VELUX 5 OCEANS Race.

This event is the longest race for individuals in any sport; although the course has changed over the years, the 2006 edition covered a route of 30,140 nautical miles (55,820 km).

Overview

The BOC Challenge race was established in 1982, with main sponsorship from BOC Gases. The race was inspired by the Golden Globe Race, which was the first single-handed round-the-world yacht race. Although the Golden Globe was a non-stop race, the BOC Challenge concept was for a single-handed round-the-world race, to be run in stages (in contrast to the Vendée Globe, which is non-stop). As the longest single-handed event in the world, it is regarded as one of sailing's ultimate challenges.

The race is run every four years. The first edition was won by Philippe Jeantot, who won all four legs of the race with an overall elapsed time of just over 159 days. In 1990, the race was renamed the Around Alone; for 2006, it is known as the VELUX 5 OCEANS Race.

VELUX 5 OCEANS Race, 2006

The Skippers

Skipper Name	Boat Name	Nationality	Boat Type	Time
Bernard Stamm	Cheminées Poujoulat		Open 60	103 days
Kojiro Shiraishi	Spirit of Yukoh		Open 60	118 days
Unai Basurko	Pakea		Open 60	158 days
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston	SAGA Insurance		Open 60	159 days
Graham Dalton	A Southern Man-AGD		Open 50	Finished Leg 2
Mike Golding	Ecover		Open 60	Retired Leg 1
Alex Thomson	Hugo Boss		Open 60	Abandoned Leg 1

The boats

The race is open to monohull yachts conforming to the Open 50 and Open 60 class criteria. The Open classes are unrestricted in certain aspects but a box rule governs parameters such as overall length, draught, appendages and stability, as well as numerous other safety features.

The course

The race takes place in stages, with the skippers having the chance to rest and refit at each stop-over point. Different staging points have been used over the years; the races prior to the 1998 event were run in four legs, and the 1998 event in five legs. The 2006 edition will have the longest stages of any edition to date, with just three legs:

From	To	Expected Start	Expected Finish	Length (nm)
Bilbao, Spain	Fremantle, Australia	October 22, 2006	Early December 2006	11,730
Fremantle, Australia	Norfolk, Virginia, USA	January 7, 2007	Mid March 2007	14,500
Norfolk, Virginia, USA	Bilbao, Spain	April 15, 2007	End of April 2007	3,910

The total length for the 2006 edition was 30,140 nautical miles (55,820 km).

Past results

The BOC Challenge, 1982

Raced over four legs; Newport, Rhode Island — Cape Town — Sydney — Rio de Janeiro — Newport. Two classes of boat were entered: Class 1, 45-56 feet (13.7-17.1 m); and Class 2, 32-44 feet (9.7-13.4 m).

Results:

Skipper	Boat	Nationality	Time
Class 1: 45 to 56 feet
Philippe Jeantot	Credit Agricole		159 days
Bertie Reed	Altech Voortrekker		170 days
Richard Broadhead	Perseverance of Medina		192 days
Neville Gosson	Leda Pier One		202 days
Desmond Hampton	Gipsy Moth V		Wrecked
Tony Lush	Lady Pepperell		Sunk Leg 2
Paul Rogers	Spirit of Pentax		Retired Leg 1
Dave White	Gladiator		Retired Leg 1
Class 2: 32 to 44 feet
Yukoh Tada	Koden Okera V		207 days
Francis Stokes	Moonshine		209 days
Richard Konkolski	Nike III		213 days
Guy Bernadin	Ratso II		221 days
Dan Byrne	Fantasy		228 days
Richard McBride	City of Dunedin		264 days
Jacques de Roux	Skoiern III		Sunk Leg 3
Greg Coles	Datsun Skyline		Retired Leg 1
Thomas Lindholm	Driftwood		Retired Leg 1

The BOC Challenge, 1986

Raced over four legs; Newport, Rhode Island — Cape Town — Sydney — Rio de Janeiro — Newport. Two classes of boat were entered: Class 1, from 50-60 feet (15.2-18.3 m); and Class 2, 40-50 feet (12.2-15.2 m). New safety rules were introduced for this race, including compulsory watertight bulkheads and a simple stability check.

Results:

Skipper	Boat	Nationality	Time
Class 1: 50 to 60 feet
Philippe Jeantot	Credit Agricole		134 days
Titouan Lamazou	Ecureuil		137 days
Jean-Y Terlain	UAP		146 days
Guy Bernadin	Biscuit Lu		146 days
John Martin	Tuna Marine		147 days
Ian Kiernan	Triple M		156 days
Bertie Reed	Stabilo Boss		163 days
Dave White	Legend Securities		164 days
Richard McBride	Kiwi Express		Retired Leg 1
John Biddlecombe	ACI Crusader		Retired Leg 1
Warren Luhrs	Thursday's Child		Retired Leg 2
Class 2: 40 to 50 feet
Mike Plant	Airco Distributor		157 days
Jean Luc van den Heede	Let's Go		161 days
Harry Harkimo	Belmont Finland		168 days
Hal Roth	American Flag		171 days
Richard Konkolski	Declaration		172 days
Pentti Salmi	Colt by Rettig		175 days
Mark Schrader	Lone Star		175 days
John Hughes	Joseph Young		189 days
Dick Cross	Airforce		Retired Leg 1
Eduardo Louro de Almeida	Miss Global		Retired Leg 1
Mac Smith	Qualo		Retired Leg 1
Takao Shimada	Madonna		Retired Leg 1
Harry Mitchell	Double Cross		Retired Leg 3
Jacques de Roux	Skoiern 1V		Lost at sea Leg 2

The BOC Challenge, 1990

The course was changed for this edition, although it was still divided into four legs: Newport, Rhode Island — Cape Town — Sydney — Punta del Este — Newport. Three classes of boat were entered: Class 1, from 50-60 feet (15.2-18.3 m); Class 2, 40-50 feet (12.2-15.2 m); and a Corinthian class.

Results:

Skipper	Boat	Nationality	Time
Class 1: 50 to 60 feet
Christophe Auguin	Groupe Sceta		120 days
Alain Gautier	Generali Concorde		122 days
Philippe Jeantot	Credit Agricole IV		129 days
Mike Plant	Duracell		132 days
Kanga Birtles	Jarkan Yacht Builders		135 days
Dave Adams	Innkeeper		136 days
Isabelle Autissier	Ecureuil Poitou Charantes		139 days
Bertie Reed	Grinaker		140 days
Jose de Ugarte	BBV Expo '92		140 days
Nándor Fa	Alba Regia		165 days
John Martin	Allied Bank		Sank Leg 3
John Biddlecombe	Interox Crusader		Retired Leg 1
Endo O'Coineen	Kilcullen		Retired Leg 1
Class 2: 40 to 50 feet
Yves Dupasquier	Servant IV		141 days
Don McIntyre	Buttercup		153 days
Josh Hall	New Spirit of Ipswich		157 days
Jack Boye	Project City Kids		158 days
Hal Roth	Sebago		211 days
Yukoh Tada	Koden VIII		Retired Leg 2
Jane Weber	Tilly Endurable		Retired Leg 1
Corinthian class
Paul Thackleberry	Volcano		180 days
Robin Davie	Global Exposure		181 days
Minoru Saito	Shuten Dohji		197 days
William Gilmore	Zafu		Retired Leg 1
Robert Hooke	Niihau 4		Retired Leg 3

The Around Alone, 1994

The course was again changed for this edition, although it was still divided into four legs: Charleston, South Carolina — Cape Town — Sydney — Punta del Este — Charleston. Two classes of boat were entered: Class 1, from 50-60 feet (15.2-18.3 m); and Class 2, 40-50 feet (12.2-15.2 m).

Results:

Skipper	Boat	Nationality	Time
Class 1: 50 to 60 feet
Christophe Auguin	Sceta		121 days
Steve Pettengill	Hunters Child		128 days
Jean Luc van den Heede	Vendee Enterprises		129 days
David Scully	Coyote		133 days
JJ Provoyeur	Novell S.Africa		133 days
Arnet Taylor	Thursday's Child		200 days
Josh Hall	Gartmore		Sank Leg 1
Mark Gatehouse	QAB		Retired Leg 1
Isabelle Autissier	PRB		Sank Leg 2
Class 2: 40 to 50 feet
Dave Adams	True Blue		131 days
Giovanni Soldini	Kodak		134 days
Niah Vaughan	Jimroda II		166 days
Alan Nebauer	Newcastle Australia		181 days
Robin Davie	Cornwall		197 days
Minoru Saito	Shuten Dohji II		223 days
Floyd Romak	Cardac 88		Retired Leg 1
Neal Petersen	Protect our Sealife		Retired Leg 2
Simone Bianchetti	Town of Cervia		Retired Leg 2
Nigel Rowe	Skycatcher		Retired Leg 3
Harry Mitchell	Double Cross		Lost at sea

The Around Alone, 1998

The course was again changed for this edition, although it was still divided into four legs: Charleston, South Carolina — Cape Town — Auckland — Punta del Este — Charleston. Two classes of boat were entered: Class 1, from 50-60 feet (15.2-18.3 m); and Class 2, 40-50 feet (12.2-15.2 m).

The results:

Skipper	Boat	Nationality	Time
Class 1: 50 to 60 feet
Giovanni Soldini	Fila		116 days
Marc Thiercelin	Somewhere		130 days
Josh Hall	Gartmore		Dismasted Leg 3
Fyodor Konyukhov	Modern U/Humanities		Retired Leg 2
Mike Golding	Group 4 Securitas		Retired Leg 2
Isabelle Autissier	PRB		Sank Leg 3
Sebastian Reidl	Project Amazon
Class 2: 40 to 50 feet
Jean Pierre Mouligne	Cray Valley		132 days
Michael Garside	Magellan Alpha		138 days
Brad van Liew	Balance Bar		150 days
Viktor Yazykov	Wind of Change		168 days
Neil Petersen	www.nobarriers.com		195 days
Minoru Saito	Shuten Dohji II		203 days
Neil Hunter	Paladin II		216 days
Robin Davie	South Carolina		Disqualified Leg 2
George Stricker	Rapscallion III		Retired Leg 2

Viktor Yazykov is noted for performing surgery alone, at sea, on his elbow to drain a dangerous infection after injuring his elbow during the race. He emailed a doctor who provided instructions for his treatment

The Around Alone, 2002

The course was again changed for this edition, this time spanning five legs: Newport, Rhode Island/New York — Brixham, Devon — Cape Town — Tauranga — Salvador, Brazil — Newport. Althouth the race technically started and ended in Newport, it was preceded by a "prologue race", in which the boats with crews of up to five raced to New York, to take part in Sail for America, a major sailing event marking the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The main Around Alone event started from New York, and finished back in Newport.

Three classes of boat were entered: Class 1, IMOCA Open 60; Class 2, IMOCA Open 50; and Class 3, IMOCA Open 40.

Results:

Skipper	Boat	Nationality	Time
Class 1: IMOCA Open 60
Bernard Stamm	Bobst Group Armor Lux		49 pts 115 days
Thierry Dubois	Solidaires		45 pts 118 days
Simone Bianchetti	Tiscali		35 pts 159 days
Emma Richards	Pindar		33 pts 131 days
Bruce Schwab	Ocean Planet		30 pts 159 days
Patrick Radigues	Garnier		Retired Leg 1
Graham Dalton	Hexagon HSBC		Retired Leg 3
Class 2: IMOCA Open 50
Brad van Lieu	Tommy Hilfiger		50 pts 148 days
Tim Kent	Everest Horizontal		44 pts 169 days
John Dennis	Bayer Ascensia		Retired Leg 2
Class 3: IMOCA Open 40
Derek Hatfield	Spirit of Canada		37 pts 245 days
Kojiro Shiraishi	Spirit of Yukoh		36 pts 180 days
Alan Paris	BTC Velocity		30 pts 202 days

Notes