Kiwi to race Single-Handed Round the World

by Mandy Scott-Mackie on 23 Sep 2005 New Zealand Skipper, Brian Petersen, seeks sponsorship for single handed round the world yacht race, VELUX 5 Oceans in 2006

Brian Petersen, 53, from Helensville, Auckland has announced his intention to compete in the VELUX 5-Oceans single handed global circumnavigation yacht race.

Petersen, well respected in the national and international yachting world, has more than 30 years sailing experience, sailed over 100,000 nautical miles (in excess of three circumnavigations) and has spent the equivalent of two full years at sea. Petersen is a member of the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron and Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club. His sailing history includes

• Yachting New Zealand - Sailor of the Year finalist 2003
• Hauraki District Sports Awards - Sportsman of the Year 2003
• Australian PHRF Keelboat Championship – 1st
• Melbourne to Osaka Race 2003 – 1st
• Round North Island Two-Handed 2002 – 1st
• Noumea to Mooloolaba 2002 - 1st
• Yachtsman of the Year – Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club 1995

Born in Matamata, Petersen grew up in the Bay of Plenty and the South Waikato, particularly Te Puke and Putaruru. He spent thirty five years as a dairy farmer in Putaruru and Paeroa and now farms poultry – 240,000 head of chicken – just out of Helensville.

VELUX 5-Oceans was established as the original single-handed around the world race in 1982. It was originally known as the BOC Challenge and then became the Around Alone. Racing single-handed around the world in Open 60 and Open 50 yachts, the skippers will compete flat out over 30000 miles, with just two short “stopover” breaks in Australia and the USA. The route for VELUX 5-Oceans in 2006 is the most challenging ever for the sailors, reaching commercial centres in Europe, USA and Australasia
• Start – 22 October 2006 – Bilbao, Spain
• Leg 1 – Bilbao to Fremantle, Western Australia
• Leg 2 – Fremantle to Eastern US Seaboard
• Leg 3 – USA to Bilbao, Spain
• Finish – March/April 2007 – Bilbao, Spain

The IMOCA (International Monohull Open Class Association) Open 60 is one of the fastest classes in sailing - built in carbon fibre using the latest hi-tech structures, they are designed to be as light as possible (for speed) but strong enough to withstand the worst the seas can throw at them. The Open class is designed from the outset to be sailed just one person. There are very few comforts aboard; the sailor will spend most of the time in the 'crash' seats in a cuddy that separates the open cockpit and deck from the navigation work station. This is the nerve system, packed with electronics and computer equipment to help navigate, check performance, and communicate.

It is Petersen’s plan to build a new Open 60 designed by Greg Elliott of Elliott Marine, with whom Petersen shares many years of sailing miles (Primo and Maverick ll) and yacht co–ownership (Primo). Designer Greg Elliott is one of New Zealand's most prolific yacht designers – he has hundreds of boats on the water throughout the world. The Elliott name is synonymous with innovative, successful racing yachts and performance cruisers that are safe, easily handled and cross oceans quickly. Designs from the Elliott Marine stable include the new and successful super maxi Maximus as well as Mari Cha IV, Primo and Maverick II

With a background in farming Petersen has strong beliefs and opinions regarding free and fair trade around the world. These principles are the foundation of his 2006 yachting campaign and it is Petersen’s intention to use the race’s global coverage to encourage free trade and improve the welfare of our world’s population The campaign’s vision for free trade is to enable the optimal use of the world's resources, with the objective of sustainable development; helping break down trade barriers and borders thereby easing third world poverty

The Petersen VELUX 5-Oceans campaign carries the banner of Free Trade Global Challenges - for which a joint venture partner from the corporate world is being sought. Petersen is currently in discussion with global organisation’s whose philosophy regarding fair and free trade aligns with that of Petersen’s Free Trade Global Challenges campaign.

It is Petersen’s intention to “take our sponsor’s message around the globe in an adventuresome and wholesome way. Hopefully, to do some good and improve life for all directly involved and, of course, (importantly) those whom the campaign will touch - albeit in a smaller way.”

Petersen says of fair and free trade “Give a man a fish and he can feed his family for a day. Teach him how to fish and he can always feed his family. Give him fair access to the world’s markets and he can lift his family out of the mire and despair of poverty”

Petersen is also supported in this campaign by the Free Trade Global Challenges team; with Mandy Scott-Mackie as Campaign Manager (Project Coordinator of the Australasian stopover in Tauranga for Around Alone 2002-2003 and the first female Director of Yachting New Zealand) and, experienced national and international sailor, Don West providing Logistical Support. An experienced Shore Crew Manager and team are yet to be recruited.

More than ten times the people have climbed Mount Everest or been to the moon than sailed around the world alone. We wish Petersen luck in his campaign and in the race itself.

For further information please contact: Skipper – Brian Petersen – ++ 64 (0)9 420 9640 – ++ 64 (0)21 986 156 – brian@freetrade.org.nz

Campaign Manager – Mandy Scott-Mackie – ++ 64 (0)7 5788 270 – ++ 64 (0)21 643 064 – mandy@freetrade.org.nz

Race: www.VELUX5oceans.com