SolOceans

The SolOceans is the first single-handed oceanic round-the-world race which will be sailed on equal footing on totally identical sixteen-metre (52.5feet) high-tech one-design monohulls. This class has been named Veolia Oceans^® after the Main Sponsor of the SolOceans race, Veolia Environmental Services. The round-the-world tour will leave Caen la mer urban area for a stopover in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand and a return in Cherbourg-Octeville where the final ranking will be given.

The first start of the SolOceans will be on the 25^th October 2009. The SolOceans will then be raced every two years (2011, 2013, 2015…).

After more than ten months of consultations in 2005 followed by two years of intensive work, the SolOceans is taking shape while there is still two years ahead of work before sending out the twelve-Veolia Oceans^® one-design’s fleet around the planet on this two-leg race. Veolia Environmental Services became involved as main sponsor on the last 7^th March. The Lower Normandy Region signed on the 30^th May with SailingOne Company, organiser of the race. Then five more local authorities signed an agreement: Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, the city of Cherbourg-Octeville, Caen la mer urban area, the Calvados and Manche départments (counties).

Eurosport Events (a 100% subsidiary of the leading European media group Eurosport itself a 100% subsidiary of the TF1 Group) joined SailingOne in two stages. On the 25^th May, Eurosport Events became media partner in charge of broadcasting SailingOne’s events on TV - including the SolOceans - on the group’s channels as well as on major national and international TV channels. Then, on the 25^th July, Eurosport Events acquired a 34% equity stake in SailingOne through a reserved capital increase. As a consequence, the engagements in terms of guaranteed media coverage offered by SailingOne to the different partners of the SolOceans, its competitors and the sponsors of the Veolia Oceans^® one-design will be made easier and secured.

Bringing together a great number of international specialists renowned for the quality of their products and of their services, SailingOne realised the Veolia Oceans^® one-design designed by the Finot Conq and Associates Group, following the advice of Michel Desjoyaux. The first unit of this very high-tech series was built in carbon by JMV Industries (Cherbourg) and fitted out by SailingOne at V1D2’s workshop (Caen). The first Veolia Oceans^® one-design was launched on the 23^rd October in Caen. The inshore sailing tests ended a month after with a session in the breeze off Cherbourg with Erwan Tabarly as skipper. The building of the second unit has just started in Cherbourg-Octeville following the same principles, strictly respecting the one-design philosophy.

The Veolia Oceans^® one-design is put on sale at 1,710,000 euros taxes free. This price includes all of the equipments for the single-handed round-the-world race (consumable included), as well as the preparation of the one-design in detail. It is a unique formula “ready-to-race-round-the-globe “.

Among the one-design fleet that will be produced for the start of the first edition of the SolOceans, at least half of it will be kept for non-French competitors.

After announcing on the 15^th June 2006 that the functioning costs of the Veolia Oceans^® one-design will be strictly controlled in order to avoid any forms of inflation, SailingOne is at the moment finalising the definition of an operating procedure original and unique. It includes negotiated rates in favour of the sponsors of the Veolia Oceans^® one-design with the official suppliers (for example the insurance company), a depreciation reserve of the Veolia Oceans^® one-design in twelve years (150,000 euros per year), an all inclusive price including the annual compulsory check-up checking the respect of the one-design spirit as well as the putting up to date of each one-design equipment, an estimation of the wage bill of the team, an estimation of the functioning cost of the team and the more important: the guaranteed TV media exposure contract established by SailingOne.

As announced, this operating procedure proper to the Veolia Oceans^® one-design spirit and to the SolOceans, will fall in a budget between 550,000 and 600,000 euros taxes free per year. The consumables (sails, running rigging, standing rigging…) will be renewable every two years, after each SolOceans race. This will be included in the inclusive amount below 600,000 euros, as well as a communication by satellite package during each leg of the SolOceans. The detail of this package will be presented before the end of the year, once the first Veolia Oceans^® one-design will have started the round-the-world Reconnaissance Tour.

The presentation of the crew for the Reconnaissance Tour and its sponsor will be presented on Tuesday 4 December at 10.30pm from the Paris Boat Show on the stand of the Lower Normandy Region.

The first Veolia Oceans^® one-design will then be christened under the colours of her Reconnaissance Tour sponsor: Saturday 8^th December at 3.00 pm along the New Basin of the Port of Caen, on the territory of Caen la mer urban area.

The start of the first leg of the round-the-world Reconnaissance Tour is set for Sunday 16^th December from Caen la mer (Lower Normandy) towards Wellington (New Zealand) through Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) and Leeuwin (Australia). The second leg will link up Wellington to Cherbourg-Octeville (Lower Normandy) through Cape Horn (South America). Each leg will take between 50 to 55 days of sailing.

Besides the SolOceans, the Veolia Oceans^® Class will add to the program two Transatlantic races each summer. The reconnaissance editions are scheduled during the 2008 Summer in order to allow the first Veolia Oceans^® to realise her first transatlantic trials.

The first transatlantic, from East to West, will be a four crew members with maximum two professional sailors on board. In those circumstances, the sponsor of the one-design or his guests, but also journalists for example could share this unique experience with oceanic racers.

The second annual transatlantic, from West to East, will be a double-handed race. This concept was imagined by SailingOne in order to allow each boat’s preparateur to sail during a proper race. This will help the boat preparateur to one day replace their skipper at the helm of the Veolia Oceans^® when the said skipper will change category in this oceanic field to which the Veolia Oceans^® Class belong.