Velux 5 Oceans - Van Liew's Eco 60 due to arrive in Charleston Harbor

by Meaghan Van Liew on 6 Mar 2010 Brad Van Liew's quest to complete his third Solo Circumnavigation in the Velux 5 Oceans 2010-11 race is one step closer as his Eco 60 is due to arrive in Charleston.

It will be one of the fastest sailboats in the world to arrive in South Carolina and call the Lowcountry its new home port, the International crew of French and Americans aboard have been at sea for a grueling five weeks so far facing 50+ knots of wind and 30+ foot seas.

The boat has won first Place in the Fastnet, second Place in the Transat Jacques Vabre, and third Place in the Around Alone (now called the Velux 5 Oceans)

New owner Brad Van Liew, will receive the race boat and crew in the harbor and help sail the high tech speed machine into dock at Seabreeze Marina.

The race boat will be reconditioned in Charleston over the next four months as Van Liew and his shore support team prepare for the Velux 5 Oceans 2010-11 race, which starts in La Rochelle, France on October 17, 2010. The Velux 5 Oceans race will visit Charleston as the only U.S. port location in the spring of 2011.

The Crew aboard the race boat include Jeffrey Wargo (Johns Island, SC), JC Caso (La Rochelle, France), and Adam Currier (Lorient, France).

Brad Van Liew is currently the only U.S. entry in the Velux 5 Oceans 2010-11 race, which sends sailors solo around the globe on an nine-month rigorous endeavor of physical and mental stamina simply regarded as The Ultimate Solo Challenge®

The boat is due on Sunday, March 7 and the time to be updated as the boat makes progress toward the Charleston Harbor.

Check for updates at www.oceanracing.org under the blog section, or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ProjectLazarus