T H E   R A C E



This year   The Course   History
On June 4, 2000 95 boats will line up for the start of the eleventh sailing of the Europe 1 New Man Single Handed Transatlantic Race (STAR). This marks the fortieth year since Blondie Hasler challenged his friend and rival Sir Francis Chichester to a single-handed race from Plymouth, England to Newport, Rhode Island. With the aid of race organisers at the Royal Western Yacht Club of England, the first race was sailed in 1960 and was sponsored by the Observer Newspaper. The OSTAR as it was then called, attracted 4 participants in its first year. Sir Francis won it in 40½ days.

Charles Allen
pre-race this year.

37kbps
100kbps
One man … a boat… the sea. Those words spoken by Colonel Hasler revolutionised ocean racing in the 1960's. This simple organising principle has been the inspiration for a totally new form of yacht racing and has spawned advances in marine technology that have filtered down to the ordinary club sailor. The hundreds of sailors who have lured into challenging an ocean alone have created other single handed races such as the Route du Rhum , the Vendée Globe and the Mini Transat for yachts under 25 feet.

Since its humble beginnings this, the oldest and most prestigious of Single Handed crossings, has attracted hundreds of participants and spectators and a great deal of publicity for its new sponsors Europe 1 and New Man.

Europe 1, the large European radio group, has decided to renew its sponsorship for the third consecutive 1STAR. Europe 1, which broadcasts news and information, is known in France as the yachting radio station. Its coverage Frenchman of Loick Peyron's victory and triumphal parade down the Champs Elysées in 1992 cemented the cult status of French ocean racers. Europe 1 will feature constant updates on the progress of the race. New Man, the French sports wear manufacturer is co-sponsoring this event for the first time. The New Man label is distributed in over 40 countries through its own stores and high end clothing retailers. Europe 1, New Man and RWYC have chosen Havas Advertising Sports/LMG to manage the race's marketing rights. Havas Advertising Sports/LMG have a great deal of experience of sailing due to the marketing partnership with Royale Production in the organisation of the ORMA Multihull Championship.

Royale Production will take care of the audio-visual production of the race and will set up the latest filming techniques and equipment, enabling the race to be followed by the greatest number of television viewers and web users throughout the world. Royale Production is the first video production company to have followed a fleet of multihulls on an ocean race simultaneously using virtual 3D images. Their techniques are unique in the world and will be developed by the company for television and Internet. Being able to visualise the course, the speed of each boat and the winds encountered adds an instructive element about race tactics. Yachting is thereby rendered much more accessible to the general public and a new dimension has been added to ocean racing.