The American skipper Brad Van Liew has won the Ocean Sprint Three from Wellington, New Zealand to Punta del Este in Uruguay after 23 days at sea.
Brad Van Liew is a self proclaimed adrenaline junkie with a vast array of extreme sports behind him. A lifelong sailor, Brad had set his heart competing in the BOC Challenge, which would in 2005 be renamed the VELUX 5 OCEANS and in 1998 his dream was realised when he competed in the Around Alone finishing third in class two. Brad lives in Charleston, South
Carolina, USA and his new yacht Le Pingouin, which he bought in France last year, has a rich racing pedigree.
The VELUX 5 OCEANS is the oldest single-handed round the world yacht race. Run every 4 years since 1982, the race is the longest and toughest event for any individual in any sport. The race is a series of five high-pressure ocean sprints within a marathon circumnavigation. The 30,000 route takes the sailors from La Rochelle FR to Cape Town SA, then onto Wellington NZ, Punta
del Este Uruguay, Charleston USA and back to La Rochelle FR, for the finish.
Further VELUX 5 OCEANS images HERE