YACHTING legend Sir Robin Knox Johnston has heralded the Eco 60 class – premiering in the 2010/11 VELUX 5 OCEANS - as a shining light in the future of solo ocean racing on the anniversary of his historic round the world voyage. Fittingly, the anniversary coincides with Earth Day 2011, designed to celebrate commitment to environmental protection and sustainability worldwide, a mission supported by the Eco 60 Class and the VELUX 5 OCEANS organisers and partners.

The class – for Open 60 yachts built before 2003 – was launched as an affordable and more sustainable alternative to the big budget campaigns that have dominated solo ocean racing in recent years. The class is governed by rules and regulations designed to attract skippers with limited budgets through reduced running costs, as well as encouraging positive environmental practices.

Sir Robin, chairman of the VELUX 5 OCEANS, sailed into the history books in 1969 becoming the first person ever to circumnavigate the globe non-stop and singlehanded. He made the epic passage in Suhaili, a 32ft wooden Bermudan ketch, a far cry from the state-of-the-art ocean racing yachts used in modern round the world races.

“The Eco 60 class deliberately provides the first stepping stone, never an easy climb, for the aspiring sailor,” Sir Robin said. “By creating a separate class we are providing a level playing field for the older boats, where racing is tight and tough. When we raced round the world back in 1969 we didn’t know what the right boat for the job was. The evolution of the Open 60 class has provided us with strong, fast boats, but budgets have spiralled beyond the reach of all but the highest profile solo sailors.

“The Eco 60 class recycles the many Open 60s around the world which are no longer brand new but are still incredible ocean racing yachts, making solo sailing more accessible for those following their dream of racing round the world. Surely a return to the Corinthian spirit of the sport is the future of solo ocean racing and is in keeping with the incredible history of the VELUX 5 OCEANS.”

The current edition of the VELUX 5 OCEANS is proof of the success of the Eco 60 class – the classic solo round the world race helped create and develop the Open 60 Class, and now celebrates the reliability and sustainability of these tried and tested yachts on Earth Day. Despite racing yachts ten years old or more, the competitors have recorded impressive speeds and quick passages as they circumnavigate the world’s oceans. The Eco 60s have proved themselves sturdy in the face of some of the most testing conditions in the world’s most remote and desolate oceans, taking on the elements and extreme weather to deliver a return on investment for sponsors and partners of the race and class.

The mission of Earth Day 2011 is to broaden, diversify and activate the environmental movement worldwide, through a combination of education, public policy, and consumer campaigns. The VELUX 5 OCEANS has launched its own sustainability missions called TAKING ON THE ELEMENTS, embracing the messages and practices of the Eco 60 Class and partners of the race.

Learn more at: http://www.velux5oceans.com/static/our-commitment-to-promoting-sustainable-development/