Oscar Mead looking for backers

Velux 5 Oceans' youngest skipper has a cunning 199 '£1000 for a sail' plan

With the start of the Velux 5 Oceans only six months away, Oscar Mead, the events youngster competitor, has been fortunate enough to land support from an as yet unnamed sponsor securing 40% of his projected race budget. This has enabled him to start the process of acquiring his chosen boat, which is well underway.

That still leaves Oscar some way from starting as the boat needs some work doing to it and to fund this Team Oscar Mead is today launching a supporters club, aiming to raise the balance of his minimum funding with his “Once in a Lifetime” plan.

Opening today, Team Oscar Mead will be offering 199 limited places for supporters to join his campaign for a donation of GBP1,000 (US$1,500) which will secure a day’s sailing with Oscar on his Open 60, as well as the donor's name on the side of the hull.

This is truly a 'Once in a Lifetime' opportunity for people to sail an Open 60, not with a reef in on a corporate day out, but fast and furious as Mead trains hard for the Velux 5 Oceans (yes certain wags will no doubt point out that with a bunch of enthusiastic supporters onboard it will hardly be singlehanded training but it will be ocean time and that’s what counts!). So, those who fancy booking a slot, or who just want to support one of the world’s budding young offshore racers can email a pledge of support to teamoscarmead@rocketmail.com or visit www.teamoscarmead.co.uk.

The search for a title sponsor will continue apace but without underwritten funding being in place within four weeks Team Oscar Mead won’t have the time to make the start line. With the fabulous support that Mead got in the OSTAR, the Team Oscar Mead 199 Supporters Club is a solution to the timing issue which will, at the same time, deliver a once in a lifetime opportunity for 199 enthusiastic sailors.

mead said after announcing his campaign: “I thought long and hard about what to do after the OSTAR and I know this is a big step but I need to move on from the last race and this is the logical step. Once I am back from the Velux I will have one more year of Uni to finish and then I can seriously think about doing a Figaro campaign and some more one design sailing before shooting for the Vendee in 2016, not as an adventurer but as a racer. I spoke with many top solo sailors and they were all supportive of the program, so here I am!!!!!”

Mead has lined up the purchase of an Open 60 in France and will be flying to inspect the yacht within the next 10 days. After that it will be a spring of University work while the boat is taken into the shed and wound up ready for a summer of sailing and the start from La Rochelle in 208 days time.

To be one of “The 199”, or for more information please contact: Team Oscar Mead, Phone +44 7503 461259 or email: teamoscarmead@rocketmail.com or visit the website www.teamoscarmead.co.uk