Bernard Stamm's life has been linked with the sea since the age of two, lake-sailing with his parents in Switzerland, then a brief career in the Swiss merchant navy followed by a period as boatbuilder and cruising boat skipper.

A conviction that he "was born to be at sea" was confirmed during a spectacular and successful, singlehanded racing debut in the Mini class during the mid-1990s. With drive and determination that has become a trademark, Stamm juggled his Mini Transat racing campaign with building a Pierre Rolland-designed Open 60 for the 2000-2001 Vendée Globe, non-stop, solo, round the world race. Faced with a near impossible schedule, the boat's construction programme overran and Stamm was forced to retire from the Vendée in the early stages through autopilot failure. This scale of disaster would devastate many skippers, but Stamm - joined by a small team - sailed immediately to New York and, after waiting for a suitable weather window, scorched across the North Atlantic setting two new records: the crewed transatlantic time (8d 20h 55m 35s) and the crewed monohull 24 hour speed record (467.1 miles).

In the 2002 edition of the VELUX 5 OCEANS, Stamm stormed around the planet winning four of the five legs in Class 1, gaining immense respect from fellow competitors through his fearless ability to sail on the absolute limit of endurance for an entire circumnavigation. Powering his Open 60 around the planet exacted a heavy toll and Stamm was forced to make a swift pit stop in the Falkland Islands during Leg 4 when critical canting keel problems struck shortly after rounding Cape Horn: a brief diversion that would not rob the unstoppable skipper from taking line honours at the end of the leg in Brazil.

A series of intense depressions swept through the Open 60 fleet in early June 2004 during The Transat race, dismasting two of the leading boats and causing a dangerous crisis for Stamm as his keel detached completely, inverting the yacht 400 miles from the coast of Newfoundland. Through co-ordination with MRCC Halifax, the skipper was plucked from his stricken yacht by the crew of a tanker and taken to St. John's, Newfoundland, where - within a matter of hours - Stamm boarded an ice breaking tug and began planning a salvage operation. After a three-day, mid- Atlantic search, skipper and yacht were reunited and, in typical style, Stamm volunteered to make the dangerous dive beneath the boat to cut away the mast and rigging.

Two years and a total refit later, Cheminées Poujoulat was ready for the VELUX 5 OCEANS. As soon as the docklines were dropped in Bilbao, Stamm raced to win, whatever the cost.

He set a pace that none of the fleet could match. Once his two main rivals had dropped out of the race, he never took his foot off the pedal, racing with skill and conviction across the oceans at breathtaking speed. In defending his title, he joined prestigious names such as Philippe Jeantot. A consummate professional, Stamm earnt respect and friends in every corner of the world.