2006

The nine skippers that will take part in Velux 5 Oceans22006 are:

Unai Basurko: (“Ocean World”) professional navigator, born in Portugalete (Biscay) for 33 years. Unai Basurko is one of the great promises of Spanish oceanic navigation. It began to sail being a boy and since then regatas has participated in more than 500 and has sailed more than 100,000 nautical miles. In 1997 Luis de Ugarte travels to Australia supported by Jose. There he makes contact with enemy for the first time with the Open-60 world, he comprises of the crew of David Adams and sails with Kanga Birtles winning TransTasman RACE-98 and establishing a new record of regata.

Throughout the four last years he has realized diverse passages like of Sada (Galicia) to Newport, or from Sweden to Bilbao in classic sailboat of 10 meters. In the 2003 Solitaire de Figaro participates in Him. In March 2004 it establishes a new record when sailing without scales and attendance around the Iberian Peninsula, from Bilbao to Barcelona, in only 15 days. Unai has actively participated in the construction process its Open 60, and it has been in charge personally to transfer it until Bilbao, sailing through the seas of average world, which has supposed a superb preparation for the 5 Velux Oceans.

Alex Thomson (“Hugo Boss”): English, of 32 years of age, professional navigator. It gained regata Clipper in his edition 1998-99, becoming with 25 years skipper more young person in gaining a competition of candle around the world. In 200 it overcame in regata around Great Britain and Ireland, establishing a record of 10 days to complete the route.

Secondly in the Transat Jacques Vabre of 2003, and third party that same year in Atlantic Desafío alone, in which it established a new world-wide record of speed in monocoques (468 nautical miles to an average of 19.5 knots). It wants to become the first navigator who takes part in three returns to the world during three years consecutive; the Velux 5 Oceans 2006-07; the first edition of Barcelona World RACE 2007 in pair, and finally Vendée Globe 2008.
 

Bernard Stamm (“Poujoulat Cheminées”): Swiss, of 37 years, began to sail as a child in waters of the Lemans lake, and was merchant sailor during four years. In 1988 he retakes navigation to candle and one moves Britain, where he prepares his first day's works and he constructs his own boats. He is the most recent winner of regata returned to the world with scales, in his edition of 2002-2003, when still Around Alone was denominated.

In his palmarés emphasizes, among others profits, a transatlantic record of speed in a 2001 (with its Dark brown companion Peyron in “Orange II”) and second put in regata FastNet of 2005.
 

Graham Dalton (“Southern Man AGD”): New Zealand of 54 years, and brother of another mythical navigator “kiwi”, Grant Dalton, person in charge of the equipment of its country in the America Glass. Graham will try to make up for of its participation in the last edition of regata, when it was forced to leave after losing the mast after doubling the Cape Horn. She will be the unique participant with a sailboat of the class Open 50, and has a reason very special addition to take part in this adventure: the recent death of its son, who while it received treatment by a cancer that ended its life animated to him to participate in this return to the world. A photography next to the table of navigation and its initials in the name of the sailboat is both permanent memories that will accompany the day's work by this New Zealand marine veteran.
 

Kojiro Shiraishi (“Spirit of Yukoh”): Japanese of 39 years, with its participation in the previous edition of this regata - it finalized in the fourth position of his class became skipper more young person than it has given the return to the world alone.

With 19 years Everything was sponsored person by Yukoh, winning of the first edition of the VOICE Challenge, recently passed away in whose memory it has baptized his sailboat. Sportsman completed in diverse specialties and author of several books, in its trajectory as navigator emphasizes the world-wide record in the passage of the Pacific in 1998 (Yokohama-Saint Francisco in 14 days and 17 hours).

Mike Golding (“Ecover”): English, of 46 years. It has given five returns to the world sailing, three of them alone, and has been the first person in doing it in both felt. Ecuador in 17 occasions is cruzado, and doubled to five times the Cape Horn. He is because a completed sailor, has dominated to the Open class 60 in the last years, with 13 podium in last the seven seasons. World-wide champion in circuit IMOCA in 2004 and 2005, in this last year obtained world-wide title FICO.

Its greater personal challenge is at the present moment to gain a victory in one alone regata around the world. The Velux 5 Oceans is in addition a thorn nailed in its file since it is the unique competition that has not managed to finalize throughout its race like skipper professional.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (“Insurance Saga”): English of 67 years. He was the first man who alone circumnavigated the world and without scales, in 1969. It has worked in the merchant marine and served in the Royal Navy. Sir in 1995 was named. His first great passage, from Bombay to England, dates from 1967. In his later trajectory there is a great number of regatas in yachts of diverse sizes. In 1970 (with Leslie Williams) and in 1974 (with Gerry Boxall) winner of regata Round Britain proclaimed itself. Also Julio Bern in 1994 raised itself with the trophy, in company of Peter Blake, by the fastest circumnavigation: 74 days, 22 hours, 18 minutes and 22 seconds.

From 1992 to 2001 he has been president of Sail Training Association, and from 1995 it has directed Clipper Ventures, the organizing organization of the 5 Velux Oceans, position that has left to become position of the rudder of its Open 60 and to again undertake the adventure of the return to the world alone.

Tim Troy (“Margaret Anna”): North American, 48 years. Natural of Maryland, married and father of three children, Tim he is partner of a company of components of automotion in Baltimore, which has not prevented to dedicate good part him of its leisure to navigation until becoming an expert sailor, with more than 100,000 nautical miles to its backs, including transatlantic passages and two victories in regata alone between Newport and the Bermuda Islands.

He has baptized the boat with the name of his two daughters, having emphasized in this way the support of theirs in this third and definitive attempt to compete alone in one regata around the world. Their sport likings also include triatlón and the passages to I swim. Its greater challenge will be to furrow for him the strangers waters of the Antarctic Ocean. Mike Plant, the one that outside great North American solitary navigator and whom knew water accidental way sailing of the New England, it has been his main inspiration at the time of confronting the challenge and the adventure of the 5 Velux Oceans.

Doug Hofman: North American of Minnesota, 47 years, this industralist of profession - he is proprietor of a beer factory and vocation adventurer has secured in his third attempt to participate alone in the return to the world with scales. Although its experience to the rudder has been based mainly on the Great Lakes of the North of the United States, Doug is preparation to face the oceans, and its main challenge is to finalize regata. When not securing sponsorship it has not finally been able to participate in regata.