Due to lack of time and little financial support, the young French sailor Luis Duc has been forced to withdraw from the 2010/2011 Velux 5 Oceans Race. The remaining eight ocean racers are now ready to face the challenging 30,000 mile round the world race, also known as the Ultimate Solo Challenge.
French solo sailor Louis Duc - Image credit onEdition 2010
Up and coming French solo sailor Louis Duc today announced his withdrawal from the 2010/11 VELUX 5 OCEANS. Constrained by a lack of time and struggling to find sufficient financial support, the 26-year-old from was left with no choice but to concentrate on the 2014/15 edition of the race.
Race director David Adams said: “Louis is a promising solo sailor with lots of talent and it is a shame he will not be joining us for the 2010/11 edition of the VELUX 5 OCEANS. We sincerely hope to see Louis on the start line of the 2014/15 race and wish him the best of luck in the meantime. I am confident Louis will go on to become a prominent name in solo ocean racing.”
Eight ocean racers from seven nations are now set to be on the start line of the gruelling 30,000-mile round the world race, dubbed the Ultimate Solo Challenge. They are:
Brad Van Liew – Le Pingouin – USA
Derek Hatfield – Spirit of Canada – Canada
Christophe Bullens – Oceans of Smiles – Belgium
Zbigniew Gutkowski – Globe – Poland
Chris Stanmore-Major – Spartan – Great Britain
Simon Chalk – Ocean Planet – Great Britain
Garry Golding – Oz – Australia
Charles Hedrich – Respectons La Terre – France
The eight ocean racers are now entering the final preparation stage before assembling in La Rochelle, France, on September 26 ahead of the race start on October 17. Each skipper will shortly be setting off on their qualification passages before making last minute modifications to their Eco 60 yachts. A system of high-spec video and still-image cameras along with a satellite broadband link-up are also being installed on each yacht by onboard media specialists Marine Camera Solutions.
The VELUX 5 OCEANS, run by Clipper Ventures PLC, is the longest running solo round the world race, and has 28 years of rich heritage as the BOC Challenge and then the Around Alone. This edition features five ocean sprints over nine months. After setting off on October 17 from La Rochelle to Cape Town, the race will then take in Wellington in New Zealand, Salvador in Brazil and Charleston in the US before returning back across the Atlantic to France.
