Velux 5 Oceans - just 23 days to start

by Kate Fairclough & Kelly Russell on 29 Sep 2006 With just 23 days to go until the start, the eight skippers competing in the Velux 5 Oceans are making their way to the startline of the world’s toughest sporting event. The gruelling 30,000 mile race begins in Bilbao on the 22nd October, and the sailors will not return until April 2007, having circumnavigated the planet alone.

Bilbao is the host port for both the start and finish of the VELUX 5 OCEANS and is looking forward to hosting the oldest and most established single-handed round the world race.

British sailors Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Alex Thomson have left home waters, and are en-route to Spain having received a spectacular send off by home crowds in Gosport, Portsmouth, UK. Mike Golding, the third of the British trio, arrived in the Porto Deportivo in Gexto, Bilbao at the weekend. Kojiro Shiraishi, the lone Japanese entry in the race and who competed in the last edition of the VELUX 5 OCEANS, is making last minute preparations in Bilbao ahead of the start. Unai Basurko, Bilbao’s local hero who has lived in the Basque Country for his whole life, with Bilbao being his home port, is also undergoing final testing. Unai is hoping to become only the second Spanish National to successfully circumnavigate the globe alone.

Bernard Stamm, defending his title in this race having won the previous edition of the VELUX 5 OCEANS is currently aboard his boat ‘Cheminées Poujoulat Landolt’, on it’s delivery from La Rochelle, and is expected to arrive in Bilbao on Friday.

Tim Troy, of Baltimore, USA and Kiwi Graham Dalton are mid-Atlantic making their way to Bilbao for the start of the race. Regrettably, American Doug Hoffman has been forced to withdraw from the race having been unable to finalise a sponsorship deal to secure his place on the startline. All boats have to be moored in the race village by 1st October and for all of the teams this is when the real race really begins.

The VELUX 5 OCEANS race village officially opens to the public on Thursday 12th October and there will be the opportunity to view the eight boats taking part in the race from the pontoons.

www.velux5oceans.com

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston Udate:

At 1200 noon on Thursday 28th September, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston recommenced his journey on board his yacht 'Saga Insurance' to the start port of the VELUX 5 Oceans race in Bilbao, Spain.

He had been due to depart yesterday, but decided to return to Gosport as he was unhappy with the tension in one of the stays. This has now been corrected. He is expected to arrive in Spain early next week.

www.teamsagainsurance.co.uk