The VELUX 5 Oceans Race is a round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed in stages. Originally known as the BOC Challenge, for the title sponsor BOC Gasses, the first edition was in 1982. The race was later re-named the Around Alone; the next edition is planned to start in Spain, on October 22, 2006, and will be known as the VELUX 5 Oceans Race.^[1] A boat sails by her self-steering system as the skipper tends her sails, while sailing in fine conditions off Key West. ... Inshore yacht racing on Sydney Harbour, Australia Yacht racing is the sport of competitive sailing. ... The BOC Group is the official name of the multi-national industrial gas company more commonly known as BOC. As of 2003, BOC has over 44,000 employees on six continents, with sales of over £4. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

This event is the longest race for individuals in any sport; although the course has changed over the years, the 2006 edition is planned to cover a route of 30,140 nautical miles (55,820 km). A nautical mile is a unit of length. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ...

History

The BOC Challenge race was established in 1982, with main sponsorship from BOC Gasses. The race was inspired by the Golden Globe Race, which was the first single-handed round-the-world yacht race. Although the Golden Globe was a non-stop race, the BOC Challenge concept was for a single-handed round-the-world race, to be run in stages (in contrast to the Vendée Globe, which is non-stop). As the longest single-handed event in the world, it is regarded as one of sailing's ultimate challenges.^[2] 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The BOC Group is the official name of the multi-national industrial gas company more commonly known as BOC. As of 2003, BOC has over 44,000 employees on six continents, with sales of over £4. ... Inshore yacht racing on Sydney Harbour, Australia Yacht racing is the sport of competitive sailing. ... A boat sails by her self-steering system as the skipper tends her sails, while sailing in fine conditions off Key West. ... The Vendée Globe is a single-handed non-stop round the world yacht race. ...

The race is run every four years. The first edition was won by Philippe Jeantot, who won all four legs of the race with an overall elapsed time of just over 159 days. In 1990, the race was renamed the Around Alone; for 2006, it is to be known as the VELUX 5 Oceans Race.

The boats

The race is open to monohull yachts conforming to the Open 50 and Open 60 class criteria. The Open classes are unrestricted in certain aspects but a box rule governs parameters such as overall length, draught, appendages and stability, as well as numerous other safety features.^[3] The International Monohull Open Classes Association (IMOCA) is an international assocation within the sport of sailing which administers the monohull Open 50 and Open 60 classes of sailboats. ...

The course

The race takes place in stages, with the skippers having the chance to rest and refit at each stop-over point. Different staging points have been used over the years; the races prior to the 1998 event were run in four legs, and the 1998 event in five legs. The 2006 edition will have the longest stages of any edition to date, with just three legs:^[4]

The total planned length for this edition is 30,140 nautical miles (55,820 km). A nautical mile is a unit of length. ... Location of Bilbao in Spain Cityscape of Bilbao, with the Guggenheim Museum on the bottom right Bilbao from satellite (NASA World Wind Landsat) Bilbao (Basque: Bilbo) in the North of Spain, is the largest city in the Pais Vasco and the capital of the province of Vizcaya (Basque: Bizkaia). ... Fremantle is a city located within the Perth metropolitan area on Australias western coast, at the mouth of the Swan River, 19 kilometres south from Perths Central Business District. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fremantle is a city located within the Perth metropolitan area on Australias western coast, at the mouth of the Swan River, 19 kilometres south from Perths Central Business District. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170 451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170 451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ... Location of Bilbao in Spain Cityscape of Bilbao, with the Guggenheim Museum on the bottom right Bilbao from satellite (NASA World Wind Landsat) Bilbao (Basque: Bilbo) in the North of Spain, is the largest city in the Pais Vasco and the capital of the province of Vizcaya (Basque: Bizkaia). ... A nautical mile is a unit of length. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ...

Past results

The BOC Challenge, 1982

Raced over four legs; Newport, Rhode Island — Cape Town — Sydney — Rio de Janeiro — Newport. Two classes of boat were entered: Class 1, 45-56 feet (13.7-17.1 m); and Class 2, 32-44 feet (9.7-13.4 m). A side street in Newport, Rhode Island, showing the historic buildings near the waterfront Newport is a city located in Newport County, Rhode Island, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Province Western Cape Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales. ... Ipanema beach, in the South Zone, immortalised by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Morais song The Girl from Ipanema Rio de Janeiro (meaning River of January in Portuguese), pron. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The metre (Commonwealth English) or meter (American English) (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ...

Results:^[5][6]

 Class 1: 45 to 56 feet Philippe Jeantot Credit Agricole France 159 days Bertie Reed Altech Voortrekker South Africa 170 days Richard Broadhead Perseverance of Medina UK 192 days Neville Gosson Leda Pier One Australia 202 days Desmond Hampton Gipsy Moth V UK Wrecked Tony Lush Lady Pepperell USA Sunk Leg 2 Paul Rogers Spirit of Pentax UK Retired Leg 1 Dave White Gladiator USA Retired Leg 1 Class 2: 32 to 44 feet Yukoh Tada Koden Okera V Japan 207 days Francis Stokes Moonshine USA 209 days Richard Konkolski Nike III USA 213 days Guy Bernadin Ratso II France 221 days Dan Byrne Fantasy USA 228 days Richard McBride City of Dunedin New Zealand 264 days Jacques de Roux Skoiern III France Sunk Leg 3 Greg Coles Datsun Skyline New Zealand Retired Leg 1 Thomas Lindholm Driftwood USA Retired Leg 1 

The BOC Challenge, 1986

Raced over four legs; Newport, Rhode Island — Cape Town — Sydney — Rio de Janeiro — Newport. Two classes of boat were entered: Class 1, from 50-60 feet (15.2-18.3 m); and Class 2, 40-50 feet (12.2-15.2 m). New safety rules were introduced for this race, including compulsory watertight bulkheads and a simple stability check. A side street in Newport, Rhode Island, showing the historic buildings near the waterfront Newport is a city located in Newport County, Rhode Island, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Province Western Cape Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales. ... Ipanema beach, in the South Zone, immortalised by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Morais song The Girl from Ipanema Rio de Janeiro (meaning River of January in Portuguese), pron. ...

Results:^[7][8]

 Class 1: 50 to 60 feet Philippe Jeantot Credit Agricole France 134 days Titouan Lamazou Ecureuil France 137 days Jean-Y Terlain UAP France 146 days Guy Bernadin Biscuit Lu France 146 days John Martin Tuna Marine South Africa 147 days Ian Kiernan Triple M Australia 156 days Bertie Reed Stabilo Boss South Africa 163 days Dave White Legend Securities USA 164 days Richard McBride Kiwi Express New Zealand Retired Leg 1 John Biddlecombe ACI Crusader Australia Retired Leg 1 Warren Luhrs Thursday's Child USA Retired Leg 2 Class 2: 40 to 50 feet Mike Plant Airco Distributor USA 157 days Jean Luc van den Heede Let's Go France 161 days Harry Harkimo Belmont Finland Finland 168 days Hal Roth American Flag USA 171 days Richard Konkolski Declaration USA 172 days Pentti Salmi Colt by Rettig Finland 175 days Mark Schrader Lone Star USA 175 days John Hughes Joseph Young Canada 189 days Dick Cross Airforce USA Retired Leg 1 Eduardo Louro de Almeida Miss Global Brazil Retired Leg 1 Mac Smith Qualo USA Retired Leg 1 Takao Shimada Madonna Japan Retired Leg 1 Harry Mitchell Double Cross UK Retired Leg 3 Jacques de Roux Skoiern 1V France Lost at sea Leg 2 

Ian Kiernan OAM (born 1940) is an environmentalist who organised the Clean Up Australia campaign, and in 1993 a similar Clean Up the World operation which attracted participation from 30 million volunteers in 80 countries. ... Harry Hjallis Harkimo is a Finnish businessman. ...

The BOC Challenge, 1990

The course was changed for this edition, although it was still divided into four legs: Newport, Rhode Island — Cape Town — Sydney — Punta del Este — Newport. Three classes of boat were entered: Class 1, from 50-60 feet (15.2-18.3 m); Class 2, 40-50 feet (12.2-15.2 m); and a Corinthian class. A side street in Newport, Rhode Island, showing the historic buildings near the waterfront Newport is a city located in Newport County, Rhode Island, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Province Western Cape Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales. ... Punta del Este marks the border between the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean Punta del Este is a popular vacation spot on the southern tip of Uruguay, southeast of the town of Maldonado. ...

Results:^[9][10]

 Class 1: 50 to 60 feet Christophe Auguin Groupe Sceta France 120 days Alain Gautier Generali Concorde France 122 days Philippe Jeantot Credit Agricole IV France 129 days Mike Plant Duracell USA 132 days Kanga Birtles Jarkan Yacht Builders Australia 135 days Dave Adams Innkeeper Australia 136 days Isabelle Autissier Ecureuil Poitou Charantes France 139 days Bertie Reed Grinaker South Africa 140 days Jose de Ugarte BBV Expo '92 Spain 140 days Nando Fa Alba Regia Hungary 165 days John Martin Allied Bank South Africa Sank Leg 3 John Biddlecombe Interox Crusader Australia Retired Leg 1 Endo O'Coineen Kilcullen Eire Retired Leg 1 Class 2: 40 to 50 feet Yves Dupasquier Servant IV France 141 days Don McIntyre Buttercup Australia 153 days Josh Hall New Spirit of Ipswich UK 157 days Jack Boye Project City Kids USA 158 days Hal Roth Sebago USA 211 days Yukoh Tada Koden VIII Japan Retired Leg 2 Jane Weber Tilly Endurable USA Retired Leg 1 Corinthian class Paul Thackleberry Volcano USA 180 days Robin Davie Global Exposure UK 181 days Minoru Saito Shuten Dohji Japan 197 days William Gilmore Zafu USA Retired Leg 1 Robert Hooke Niihau 4 USA Retired Leg 3 

Minoru Saito (born January 7, 1934 in Asakusa in Tokyo) is a Japanese solo yachtsman. ...

The Around Alone, 1994

The course was again changed for this edition, although it was still divided into four legs: Charleston, South Carolina — Cape Town — Sydney — Punta del Este — Charleston. Two classes of boat were entered: Class 1, from 50-60 feet (15.2-18.3 m); and Class 2, 40-50 feet (12.2-15.2 m). This article is about the city in South Carolina. ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Province Western Cape Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales. ... Punta del Este marks the border between the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean Punta del Este is a popular vacation spot on the southern tip of Uruguay, southeast of the town of Maldonado. ...

Results:^[11][12]

 Class 1: 50 to 60 feet Christophe Auguin Sceta France 121 days Steve Pettengill Hunters Child USA 128 days Jean Luc van den Heede Vendee Enterprises France 129 days David Scully Coyote USA 133 days JJ Provoyeur Novell S.Africa South Africa 133 days Arnet Taylor Thursday's Child USA 200 days Josh Hall Gartmore UK Sank Leg 1 Mark Gatehouse QAB UK Retired Leg 1 Isabelle Autissier PRB France Sank Leg 2 Class 2: 40 to 50 feet Dave Adams True Blue Australia 131 days Giovanni Soldini Kodak Italy 134 days Niah Vaughan Jimroda II UK 166 days Alan Nebauer Newcastle Australia Australia 181 days Robin Davie Cornwall UK 197 days Minoru Saito Shuten Dohji II Japan 223 days Floyd Romak Cardac 88 USA Retired Leg 1 Neal Petersen Protect our Sealife South Africa Retired Leg 2 Simone Bianchetti Town of Cervia Italy Retired Leg 2 Nigel Rowe Skycatcher UK Retired Leg 3 Harry Mitchell Double Cross UK Lost at sea 

Minoru Saito (born January 7, 1934 in Asakusa in Tokyo) is a Japanese solo yachtsman. ...

The Around Alone, 1998

The course was again changed for this edition, although it was still divided into four legs: Charleston, South Carolina — Cape Town — Auckland — Punta del Este — Charleston. Two classes of boat were entered: Class 1, from 50-60 feet (15.2-18.3 m); and Class 2, 40-50 feet (12.2-15.2 m). This article is about the city in South Carolina. ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Province Western Cape Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... The Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in New Zealand. ... Punta del Este marks the border between the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean Punta del Este is a popular vacation spot on the southern tip of Uruguay, southeast of the town of Maldonado. ...

The results:^[13][14][15]

 Class 1: 50 to 60 feet Giovanni Soldini Fila Italy 116 days Marc Thiercelin Somewhere France 130 days Josh Hall Gartmore UK Dismasted Leg 3 Fedor Konioukho Modern U/Humanities Russia Retired Leg 2 Mike Golding Group 4 Securitas UK Retired Leg 2 Isabelle Autissier PRB France Sank Leg 3 Sebastian Reidl Project Amazon Canada Class 2: 40 to 50 feet J P Mouligne Cray Valley France 132 days Michael Garside Magellan Alpha UK 138 days Brad van Lieu Balance Bar USA 150 days Viktor Yazykov Wind of Change Russia 168 days Neil Petersen www.nobarriers.com South Africa 195 days Minoru Saito Shuten Dohji II Japan 203 days Neil Hunter Paladin II Australia 216 days Robin Davie South Carolina USA Disqualified Leg 2 George Stricker Rapscallion III USA Retired Leg 2 

Mike Golding (born 27 August 1960) is an English yachtsman. ... Minoru Saito (born January 7, 1934 in Asakusa in Tokyo) is a Japanese solo yachtsman. ...

The Around Alone, 2002

The course was again changed for this edition, this time spanning five legs: Newport, Rhode Island/New York — Brixham, Devon — Cape Town — Tauranga — Salvador, Brazil — Newport. Althouth the race technically started and ended in Newport, it was preceded by a "prologue race", in which the boats with crews of up to five raced to New York, to take part in Sail for America, a major sailing event marking the first anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The main Around Alone event started from New York, and finished back in Newport. A side street in Newport, Rhode Island, showing the historic buildings near the waterfront Newport is a city located in Newport County, Rhode Island, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Providence. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... Location within the British Isles Brixham is a small town in the county of Devon in the southwest of England. ... The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordering on Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Province Western Cape Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... // Introduction Tauranga (population 90,906 — 2001 census) is the major city of the western Bay of Plenty on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Salvador and Baía de Todos os Santos from space, April 1997 Morning Street Scene, Bahia, Brazil, about 1900 This article is about a Brazilian city. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Three classes of boat were entered: Class 1, IMOCA Open 60; Class 2, IMOCA Open 50; and Class 3, IMOCA Open 40.

Results:^[16][17]

 Class 1: IMOCA Open 60 Bernard Stamm Bobst Group Armor Lux Switzerland 49 pts 115 days Thierry Dubois Solidaires France 45 pts 118 days Simone Bianchetti Tiscali Italy 35 pts 159 days Emma Richards Pindar UK 33 pts 131 days Bruce Schwab Ocean Planet USA 30 pts 159 days Patrick Radigues Garnier Belgium Retired Leg 1 Graham Dalton Hexagon HSBC New Zealand Retired Leg 3 Class 2: IMOCA Open 50 Brad van Lieu Tommy Hilfiger USA 50 pts 148 days Tim Kent Everest Horizontal USA 44 pts 169 days John Dennis Bayer Ascensia Canada Retired Leg 2 Class 3: IMOCA Open 40 Derek Hatfield Spirit of Canada Canada 37 pts 245 days Kojiro Shiraishi Spirit of Yukoh Japan 36 pts 180 days Alan Paris BTC Velocity Bermuda 30 pts 202 days 

References