| Spain. Velux 5 Ocean skippers and sponsors eagerly anticipate a high caliber event |
|
|
|
|
; "Bernard Stamm & Mike Golding: © DR")
| Monday, 13 February 2006 | |
|
Tim Kelly: Organisers of the Velux 5 Ocean were delighted with the success of the inaugural skippers and sponsors conference held in Bilbao on February 6 and 7. The impact of the conference sparked announcements from leading sailors Mike Golding and Bernard Stamm to enter the gruelling 30,000 round the world race which begins in Bilbao on October 22. Meanwhile, other skippers left the conference with renewed enthusiasm and armed with the latest information to help ensure their Open 50 and Open 60 campaigns make it to the start line. Sir Robin Knox Johnston welcomed a total of 45 delegates including 16 skippers. Along with Golding and Stamm, attendees included professionals such as Conrad Humphreys, Tim Troy, Kojiro Shiraishi, Joe Harris, Alex Pella and Miranda Merron, as well as an international representation of amateur sailors looking to fulfill their life-long ambition of sailing around the world. Sponsor representatives from Hugo Boss, Ecover, Poujoulat Cheminées, Amundsen Oslo, Velux, Western Australia and Bilbao joined the sponsorship workshops and seminars. Media and marketing presentations were made by Clipper Ventures, Pitch PR, APP and Global Sportnet along with a full race update from Race Director, David Adams. Chairing the conference, David Stubley, Chairman of the race Advisory Board and a CEO of Performance Worldwide (part of WPP group) commented, “It’s been a great two days and we’ve received some very positive feedback from the attendees. This conference was needed on a number of levels. Firstly, to demonstrate to our key stakeholders how far on track we are with planning and media strategy. The conclusion was that, with the support of Velux and other key partners such as Bilbao and Western Australia, we are well on our way to returning this historic event to its rightful position as one of the most valuable events in the sport of sailing. Secondly, we needed to provide certain skippers with as much support and information as possible to help get them to secure sponsorship. Our aim is to take this race to an altogether new level and the conference provided a great platform to underpin our commitment to deliver the Ultimate Solo Challenge” to skippers, the media, our Host Cities and our sponsors.” The host city of Bilbao welcomed guests at the luxury five star hotel, El Gran Hotel Domine, opposite the stunning Guggenheim Museum. Delegates received a warm welcome from Koldo Narbaiza, Tourism Director of the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia, including a presentation on the city, tour of the race village in Getxo and a dinner at the Museum of Fine Arts. Mike Golding, the 2005 IMOCA and FICO World Champion, whose Open 60 Ecover is now in a refit and modification for the race, hopes his participation will encourage other IMOCA skippers to take on the challenge. As he left the conference, Mike concluded, “I must say that the conference has really impressed me, especially in terms of the structure and support already in place, which is essential for skippers, teams and sponsors.” He continued, “There has been a marked shift in the commitment to this race and it seems to be evolving in a very exciting way. We had some Americans here with huge potential, then there’s Conrad Humphreys, Bernard Stamm, Alex Thomson… and that’s not even mentioning the entries from Canada and Spain.” As race organisers continue to progress preparations for the race start in Bilbao, a number of skippers are expected to join the big names in announcing their entries ahead of the official entry date of March 31. Skipper attendees: Bernard Stamm, Josh Hall, Steve Davies, Kojiro Shiraishi, Mike Golding, Tim Troy, Joe Harris, Conrad Humphreys, Malcolm van Rooyen, Brian Petersen, Gildas Iauch, Lee Gallagher, Miranda Merron, Doug Hofman, Alex Pella, Ricardo Diniz For more information on Velux 5 Ocean, please visit www.velux5oceans.com Editor’s note: About the Velux 5 Ocean – The Ultimate Solo Challenge The Velux 5 Ocean is the oldest and most established, single-handed round the world yacht race. With a rich sporting heritage, the race has been contested every four years since 1982, previously under the titles of ‘BOC Challenge’ and more recently ‘Around Alone.’ The ultimate in human endeavour, more people have climbed Mount Everest and travelled to the moon, than have completed a solo circumnavigation. In 2006, the race celebrates its 25th Jubilee year and, with new title sponsors, Velux, is set to be greater than ever before. The 30,000 mile three-leg race is scheduled to begin in Bilbao on 22nd October and will stop in Australia and the USA before returning to Bilbao approximately 6 months later. The introduction of fewer stopovers and shorter preparation times between legs has been specifially introduced to provide a more cost effective global marketing opportunity for entrants and their sponsors. Over the years, the race has consistently attracted a wide spread of entries from around the globe, making heroes of many celebrated yachtsmen and women, including Philippe Jeantot, Giovanni Soldini, Jean-Luc van den Heede, Isabelle Autissier, Bernard Stamm and Emma Richards, who received an MBE after becoming the first woman and youngest ever competitor to complete the race in 2002. |
|
| Last Updated ( Monday, 13 February 2006 ) |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|