Frugal is in. Green is in. Our new Eco 60 class just happens to be fashionable, though we developed it for different reasons.
Solo round-the-world yacht racing has always been about seamanship, skill and determination. It's not just about money and who has the flashiest boat. Over the years we've all seen examples of sailors with older boats and meagre budgets who sailed their guts out to finish well. Despite storms, breakages and setbacks galore, they simply never gave up. While some of the favourites with state-of-the-art racing machines have achieved tremendous feats, others have regularly fallen by the wayside.
The 27-year history of the Velux 5 Oceans has helped develop fully professional solo round-the-world sailors and it celebrates their achievements. But at the same time we have always provided an opportunity for the first-timers and sailors with more limited budgets to achieve their dreams. The Velux 5 Oceans is continuing that tradition in 2010-11. The Open 60 class invites skippers to compete in the latest Open 60s against other leading professional offshore racers. But this time the event will also host a second fleet of yachts under the banner of the Eco 60 class, a fleet welcoming all Open 60s launched before 1 January 2003.
By incorporating the more economical- and ecological- Eco 60 class, the Velux 5 Oceans 2010-11 remains contemporary, global and accessible to skippers from all over the world.
Formerly known as The BOC Challenge and Around Alone, this race has always been at the heart of innovative boat development and the discovery of new talent. This is what lies behind our introduction of the Eco 60 class. Buying a tried and tested existing boat is much cheaper than building a new boat, which is important for the many sailors who don't have those huge budgets. Yet buying an older boat won't stop innovation- the innovation will simply be steered into greener options. By creating a separate class we are providing a fresh and more level playing field for the older boats. Close, competitive racing makes great stories and that is what we expect among the Eco 60s.
The new class will take particular advantage of the many third-generation Open 60 yachts now for sale. As advances in technology take the latest generation of Open 60s to new levels of performance, and with bigger and bigger budgets, earlier Open 60s are steadily left behind. Many of these tried and tested racing machines, proven in the toughest oceans around the world with a pedigree of success, are now lying unused. Yet the potential remains and now it can again be productively harnessed.
Limiting budgets... and a social conscience
The Eco 60 class will not only be more affordable through reusing older boats, but to reduce budgets further rules will tightly restrict the number of sails, the size of professional shore crews and the extent of refit work allowed.
The Eco 60 class will also be governed by regulations designed to promote ideas to improve the ecological and environmental impact of such events on the planet. These very specific rules, to be published in the coming months, will seek to limit fossil fuel consumption and encourage wind and solar power, taking a message of sustainable living around the world.
Although the Eco 60s are third (or even fourth) generation, the class will still be innovative, particularly in testing sailors on issues of voyage sustainability; skippers will all be required to prove sustainable methods of power generation while racing. This will require careful analysis and refinement of the available options plus the opportunity to be aligned with new and ground-breaking technologies.
Fossil fuel will be allowed without penalty up to an agreed amount and then a points-penalty will be applied by the race committee for usage over that limit. Boats will be required to carry three independent power-generating systems to cover all their power needs during racing.
During the race the Eco 60 teams will also be limited to two professional shore crew, though skippers will be allowed (genuine) volunteer helpers as well. The total number of sails for the race will be limited to one mainsail and seven headsails (plus storm sails). All sails will be measured and stamped before the race begins. These will be the only sails used during the event.
Not all sails have to be carried onboard for all legs. Sails may be repaired, but if more than 50 per cent of a sail is repaired, it will be classified as a replacement, which will attract a points-penalty.
While racing, weather assistance for Eco 60 skippers will be limited to the supplied race package only. No surfing the internet for weather information will be allowed, which- by comparison with several recent Open 60 case studies- will greatly reduce the budget required for communications.
In a further effort to keep costs for the Eco 60 class low, we plan to allow haul-outs during the race for safety reasons only. Under this rule, skippers will have to apply to the race committee and explain the nature of any damage. If haul-out permission is granted, no other work will be allowed while the boat is out of the water. And this will be actively monitored.
Where to look?
The race management team is maintaining an up-to-date list of pre-2003 Open 60 yachts for sale. Please contact the race team if you would like either to register your yacht for sale or are interested in competing in the Eco 60 class.
Whether skippers choose to compete among the elite professional sailors in the latest Open 60s or in the new Eco 60 class, the spirit of the Velux 5 Oceans will be shared equally, with the intense competition, the camaraderie, the human drama, the stories of heartbreak, courage and endurance that continue to make solo round-the-world racing so enthralling.