The first single-handed RTW Race with equal boats

by Event media on 18 Jun 2006 The Solo-Oceans has officially been presented at the French Sailing Federation (FFVoile) headquarters by Yvan Griboval, Managing Director of SailingOne as well as the creator and the project manager of the Trophée Clairefontaine des Champions de Voile.

The Solo-Oceans, is the first single-handed round-the world competition offering equal opportunities. From October 2009 onwards, on a France - New Zealand - France course, skippers and advertisers will be sailing on sixteen metres Oceanic One-Design monohulls, with under-control costs.

The race will then be scheduled every two years.

The Solo-Oceans is imagined, organized, broadcasted and developed by the SailingOne agency that has therefore created the Monotype Océanique (registered trademark), designed by the Finot-Conq Group in consultation with Michel Desjoyeaux (skipper of Géant ) . SailingOne will produce, market and control its perfect One-Design quality and its evolution.

This complete control is in the favour of firms, especially at a time where inflation is dashing as far as monohull single-handed races are concerned.

The Solo-Oceans, that was launched during the presidency of Jean-Pierre Champion, President of the FFVoile, surrounded by Michel Desjoyeaux and the architect Jean-Marie Finot, is the first single-handed round-the-world-race in which international skippers are guaranteed to compete on an equal footing on the Monotypes Océaniques, sixteen metre high-tech one-design monohulls, all strictly identical to one another: hull, equipment and sails.

It also is the first single-handed round-the-world-race that guarantees an A to Z control of entry and running costs, enabling small enterprises as well as big companies to get involved in this-round-the-world-race on an equal footing with reasonable budgets.

The Solo-Oceans is the first oceanic race, which contractually guarantees the same minimum media exposure to each competing team - in addition to the usual editorial media coverage and sports news.

The Solo-Oceans is the first single-handed round-the-world competition that will run every two years with one race per year: first leg France - New Zealand during the last quarter of the year, followed by the second leg New Zealand - France at the beginning of the following year. And so on.

The first Solo-Oceans will leave France Sunday, October 25th 2009. Five departments (French territorial division) are likely to welcome the starting and arrival areas as well the Monotype Océanique construction and maintenance site. This is a contractual obligation undertaken by the project manager of the Solo-Oceans in favour of the local authorities that will get involved in this biennial event.

The choice of the department will be made official most likely on October 25th, 2006, i.e. just three years before the start of the first race. Regarding New Zealand, Wellington the capital city, and Auckland, the 'City of Sails' have shown their interest in this event and are waiting for the project manager's choice expected at end of the year.

The Solo-Oceans and its Monotype Océanique fits into the category of Oceanic Single-Handed Races. It will cost an advertiser about 500 000 ¤ exclusive of tax per season, including a guaranteed media exposure .This controlled cost is about two times and a half the running cost of a Figaro Bénéteau (a well known French race) exclusive of media coverage.

In order to embark on the Solo-Oceans, i.e. a fifty-day- race half way round the world per year, the budget you need will be between 20 and 40% of the one required for an IMOCA 60 prototype season like the Vendée Globe, French equivalent of the Velux 5 Oceans, former BOC Challenge.

This attractive proposition is meant to make sailing more attractive to firms and local authorities that might have been put off, until now, by the inflation of the prototypes budgets.