The America's Cup gets the lion's share of sailing coverage by the general
news media, but in blue water sailing circles, the ultimate proving grounds is the BOC Challenge,
a singlehanded round-the-world race for monohulls that takes entrants south of the three great capes
and into the Southern Ocean, where gales, icebergs and poor visibility are a way of life. This is
the sailor's Mount Everest.
At a BOC press conference held January 6 at
The Explorer's Club in Manhattan, BOC press conference held January 6 at The Explorer's Club in
Manhattan, BOC Spokesman Nigel Rowe announced new developments and new rules governing the next
event, scheduled to begin from Newport, Rhode Island, on September 15, 1990.
The World Wildlife Fund has joined hands with the BOC Group (British Oxygen Corporation) in
developing a number of important conservation and educational projects relating to the great oceans
of the world.
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HRH Prince Philip, International President of the WWF, will serve as Patron of the 1990 BOC Challenge,
and further details will be announced later this year.
The next race will
be divided into three classes to enable unsponsored entrants to compete in a new Corinthian Class
for boats 40 to 50 feet, and Class II for monohulls 40 to 50 feet. Entry fees are $3,000, $6,000 and
$5,000 respectively.
While encouraging amateur sailors to compete, BOC has
hired Capital Sports, a New York based sports marketing firm, to help secure a limited number of
sponsors to underwrite the race and increase prize money. "We hope to be able to offer a total of
at least a quarter of a million dollars in prize money, including a $100,000 prize for the overall
winner of the race," said Richard Giordano, chairman of the British owned BOC Group.
Stopover ports on the 27,000 mile race will be Cape Town, South Africa; Sydney,
Australia and Punto del Este, Uruguay,
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which replaces Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as the third stop before
the last leg home to Newport. Race Director Mark Schrader, who competed in 1986-87 BOC, said the change
"equalizes the legs" by trimming 200 miles from the third and longest lap.
Race officials expect at least 60 entries for the 1990 event. Twenty-five boats entered the last race,
with 18 completing the circuit. BOC also will sponsor a trams-Atlantic race for monohulls up to 60
feet from New York to Plymouth, England, in May 1991 at the conclusion of the BOC Challenge.
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