For Immediate Release: Monday January 18th
Rights-free race images available to download in high-resolution from www.w-w-i.com/velux_5_oceans/
Interviews and video footage available on request from the communications team
COUNTDOWN TO THE VELUX 5 OCEANS: LA ROCHELLE OCTOBER 17TH
Nine months to go before the start of The Ultimate Solo Challenge
Only nine months remain until the start of the VELUX 5 OCEANS and the various pieces of the jigsaw continue to come together. All the ingredients are being put in place for the eighth edition of the classic singlehanded round the world race, which should create one of the most successful events in the prestigious twenty eight year history of The Ultimate Solo Challenge.
To date, Clipper Ventures, in close partnership with title sponsor VELUX, have announced a number of positive and innovative key elements of the race:
- 5 ocean sprints within a 30,000 marathon around the planet, departing La Rochelle (France) on October 17th 2010 and bringing solo offshore racing directly to audiences in Cape Town (South Africa), Wellington (New Zealand), Salvador (Brazil) and Charleston (USA), before returning to La Rochelle in May 2011
- The start dates for each ocean sprint will be announced in the coming weeks, with world class services provided to skippers in each port
- The race prizegiving in La Rochelle will take place on June 6th 2011
- Nine confirmed international entries from seven different countries in the promising Eco 60 Class, with four already announced from Canada, USA, Belgium and Poland, and with more entries to come soon
- The Eco 60 Class is an exciting new class in the Open 60 range for boats built before 2003 to open the race to adventurers without big budgets and embracing sustainability
- Strong interest in the Open 60 Class, which remains open to all skippers with Open 60s built after January 2003
- €500,000 prizemoney for skippers, to be split across the fleets and 5 ocean sprints, including awards for media work, seamanship and sustainability actions
- €21,000 investment per team in accommodation for the stopovers around the world
- €15,000 minimum per team to be invested in onboard communications and logistics, with details to be announced in the coming months
- €2.6 million to be invested in media activities for skippers, including audio-visual production and distribution, photography, cutting edge digital activation and press relations in key territories around the world, with a target to deliver in excess of €80 million of media value for teams and partners
- The launch of TAKING ON THE ELEMENTS, the race sustainability agenda which will see stakeholders (organisers, partners, ports and skippers) making a commitment to promote sustainable living through the race platform (communication, race village, Eco 60 Class)
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Chairman of Clipper Ventures and the VELUX 5 OCEANS, concluded, “Our vision for the VELUX 5 OCEANS is to offer the most challenging single handed ocean racing format. The VELUX 5 OCEANS in 2010 aims to support new talent, encourage global participation and bring ocean racing to large audiences around the world, embracing and promoting the shared value of sustainability. We are offering outstanding support to skippers and teams, as well as sponsors, covering five continents and spanning nine months, with significant investments across team budgets and communications.”
“The VELUX 5 OCEANS has a unique heritage and a special place in the solo ocean racing calendar. Only 90 people have so far completed the challenge and it has always attracted an internationally diverse group of skippers, many of whom have become star names in sailing, including Philippe Jeantot, Bernard Stamm, Giovanni Soldini and Kojiro Shiraishi. The promising Eco 60 Class has brought a new dimension to the race and the interest in the Open 60 Class for the latest generation of racing yachts remains strong. Clipper Ventures and VELUX look forward to welcoming everyone to La Rochelle in October to celebrate the spirit of singlehanded offshore racing.”
For further information on the VELUX 5 OCEANS, please contact Tim Kelly, Race Director of Communications:
T: + 44 7773 325 533
E: tkelly@velux5oceans.com
W: www.velux5oceans.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
VELUX 5 OCEANS – The Ultimate Solo Challenge
The VELUX 5 OCEANS is the oldest single-handed round the world yacht race. Run every 4 years since 1982, the race is the longest and toughest event for any individual in any sport. The VELUX 5 OCEANS is a series of five high-pressure ocean sprints within a marathon circumnavigation. In the course of the 30,000 mile race, the skippers cross five oceans alone. The next VELUX 5 OCEANS will take place 2010-2011 and promises to reach a global audience as the dramatic stories are followed live across TV, radio, print, Internet and via mobile technology.
About VELUX
VELUX creates better living environments with daylight and fresh air through the roof. Our product range contains a wide assortment of roof windows and skylights, as well as systems for flat roofs. In addition, VELUX offers many types of decoration and sun screening, roller shutters, installation products, products for remote control and thermal solar panels for roof installation. With manufacturing companies in ten countries and sales companies in approx. 40, VELUX is one of the strongest brands in the global building materials sector and its products are sold in most parts of the world. The VELUX Group has around 10,000 employees and is owned by VKR Holding A/S, a limited company wholly owned by foundations and family.
About Clipper Ventures Plc
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s historic solo and non-stop circumnavigation in 1970. Now, as Chairman of Clipper Ventures PLC, he is at the forefront of promoting round the world yacht racing. Clipper Ventures, the marine sports company founded in 1995, is focused on developing and promoting major events capable of attracting significant participation, income, media coverage and associated sponsorship revenue. The company owns the rights to the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and the VELUX 5 OCEANS.
About La Rochelle
For 1,000 years, La Rochelle the “rebel” likes being different: democratic a long time before the rest of France, it is Protestant when the whole France is Catholic; it always innovates and disrupts commonplaces and the city becomes a pioneer as regards urban ecology. Throughout history, La Rochelle shows its difference. It has always been turned toward the sea and has a rich and turbulent past. La Rochelle remained bubbly of ideas and events. Boating and sailing races are deeply rooted in La Rochelle’s culture and many events were held in this city where the French boating industry could develop its numerous assets.
Stopovers of the Volvo Ocean Race, of the Global Challenge, of the Clipper Race, start city of the Transat 6.50 Charente-Maritime/Bahia, commemoration the 400th anniversary of the discovery of Quebec, International In-water Boat Show… a multiplicity of events that ranked La Rochelle as one of the major capital of International sailing. La Rochelle still steer the course to the future!