Underway

Liz Wardley starts her attempt to set a SolOceans reference time

At midday GMT, buffeted ba y force 7 wind, Liz Wardley crossed the start line off Caen - Ouistreham on the north coast of France of the Around-the-world Reference Tour of the SolOceans - OceanoScientific® Campaign 2009-2010. She rounded Cabourg / Dives-sur-mer buoy before heading towards Wellington, the Capital of New Zealand.

Warley left in the exact conditions of the SolOceans - the start of the first edition is scheduled to be on23 October 2011 - ie solo onboard a SolOceans One-design, a 16m all-carbon racing yacht made In Normandy. For this voyage the boat at the same time a scientific vessel and sails in the colours of the Lower Norman Region (France), Wellington, Caen la mer urban area (France) and Cherbourg (France) - who have supported the creation and development of the SolOceans and the OceanoScientific® Campaign since its creation.

Jean-Louis Borloo, French Minister of Marine Affairs: "is delighted with this initiative allowing us to better understand the oceans and the effect of Climate Change on our seas. That's why I would like this OceanoScientific® Campaign to be part of the Oceans Round Table actions (Grenelle de la Mer) and to receive very soon an official labelling"

Liz Wardley plans to be back in Lower Normandy in mid-March, at the end of the second leg between Wellington and Cherbourg i.e. two 50 to 55-day single-handed navigations raced against the clock.