And then there were eight

Velux 5 Oceans boats head for Bilbao for 22 October departure for singlehanded round the world race

With just 23 days to go until the start, the eight skippers competing in the Velux 5 Oceans are making their way to the startline for the 30,000 mile, three leg round the world race. Velux 5 Oceans begins in Bilbao on 22 October, and the sailors will not return until April 2007.

Bilbao is the host port for both the start and finish of the Velux 5 Oceans and is looking forward to hosting the oldest and most established single-handed round the world race.

British sailors Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Alex Thomson have left home waters, and are en-route to Spain having received a spectacular send off by home crowds in Gosport, Portsmouth, UK. Mike Golding, the third of the British trio, arrived in the Porto Deportivo in Gexto, Bilbao at the weekend. Kojiro Shiraishi, the lone Japanese entry in the race and who competed in the last Velux 5 Oceans, is making last minute preparations in Bilbao ahead of the start.

Unai Basurko, Bilbao’s local hero who has lived in the Basque Country for his whole life, with Bilbao being his home port, is also undergoing final testing. Basurko is hoping to become only the second Spanish national to successfully circumnavigate the globe alone.

Bernard Stamm, defending his title in this race having won the previous edition of the Velux 5 Oceans (previously Around Alone) is currently aboard his boat Cheminées Poujoulat Landolt, on it’s delivery from La Rochelle, and is expected to arrive in Bilbao on Friday.

Tim Troy, of Baltimore, USA and Kiwi Graham Dalton are mid-Atlantic making their way to Bilbao for the start of the race. Regrettably, American Doug Hoffman has been forced to withdraw from the race having been unable to finalise a sponsorship deal to secure his place on the startline. All boats have to be moored in the race village by 1 October and for all of the teams this is when the real race really begins.
 
The Velux 5 Oceans race village officially opens to the public on Thursday 12 October and there will be the opportunity to view the eight boats taking part in the race from the pontoons.