ISAF Women's World Match Racing Ranking at the end of the nomination period (24 August 2005) - 1
ISAF Open World Match Racing Ranking at the end of the nomination period (24 August 2005) – 96

The single-handed round the world record was smashed in 2004 by Francis JOYON (FRA), but Ellen and her team always believed they could do better and, on 28 November 2004, Ellen set off on her maxi-trimaran B&Q on what would be the fastest single-handed circumnavigation ever. Ellen faced the full range of the ocean’s conditions and a nail biting final few days as she endured light winds which forced her to watch her lead on JOYON’s time gradually diminish. Sailing a total of 27,354 nautical miles, Ellen took 1 day, 8 hours, 35 minutes and 49 seconds off JOYON’s record, completing her voyage in just over 71 days. After a short rest Ellen was back out on the race course with a crew competing in the St. Nazaire to St. Malo race and the Plymouth to Roscoff Brittany Ferries 100 Mile Trophy.

© Marcello Paternostro

Blanca MANCHÓN had already begun to make a name for herself on the windsurfing circuit when she became the youngest sailor at the 2004 Olympic Sailing Competition and 2005 has been another phenomenal year. With wins at four of the five ISAF graded events she has contested in the nomination period, her achievements speak for themselves. The 2005 ISAF Grade W Mistral World Championship took place in Italy in May and in an event beset by difficult conditions, Blanca blitzed the competition to take the gold medal with a 13 point margin.

The Mistral European Youth Championship ran concurrently with the Worlds and Blanca won this title 120 points clear from the next youth sailor. It was therefore little surprise later in the year at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Busan, Korea that Blanca should top the podium again. This time she did so with a day to spare, after winning six of the eleven races. Her results have seen her steadily climb the ISAF World Sailing Rankings to end the nomination period at number three. This young windsurfer is certainly one to watch for the future.

ISAF World Sailing Ranking at the end of the nomination period (3 August 2005) - 3

Paige RAILEY has exploded onto the Olympic circuit during the last nine months and firmly established herself as the force to be reckoned with in the Laser Radial. In January, Paige took victory at her first ISAF Graded Laser Radial event, which was also the first ISAF Grade 1 event for the new Olympic women’s one person dinghy equipment. She followed up that victory with three more to end the nomination period with wins at five of the seven graded events she has entered.

In July, Paige returned to an event she had contested three times before, and from which she had walked away with two medals, the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship which took place in Busan, Korea. Paige faced the cream of young talent from around the world, and a clear favourite to win the gold she produced another impressive performance, winning six of the eleven races and ending the Championship on top of the podium. This victory is another first as she is the only female to ever win more than one single-handed dinghy title at the ISAF Youth Worlds. A few weeks later she was back on the water at the ISAF Grade CI Laser Radial European Championship in Split, Croatia where she topped the podium again and in doing so, boosted herself back to the top of the ISAF World Sailing Rankings, despite counting points from fewer regattas than those ranked behind her.

ISAF World Sailing Ranking at the end of the nomination period (3 August 2005) - 1

Tornado sailors Fernando ECHAVARRI and Antón PAZ have had quite a year. They finished off 2004 with a second place at the Christmas Race in Palamos, Spain and began 2005 with victory, taking five bullets from the nine race series at the ISAF Grade 2 Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week in March. Their performance through the season was consistent and really took off with a bang in May when they claimed the gold medal at the ISAF Grade 1 Holland Regatta. They followed up this result with the ISAF Grade W Tornado World Championship title in June and then did the double in August claiming the European Championship title as well.

Their achievements also paid dividends in their ISAF World Sailing Ranking position and through the nomination period they climbed steadily up to the top spot which they claimed on 29 June.

ISAF World Sailing Ranking at the end of the nomination period (3 August 2005) – 1

Peter GILMOUR has been a formidable opponent on the match racing circuit for many years, having raced with five America’s Cup syndicates and notched up three ISAF World Championship titles. After a break from the ISAF Graded match racing circuit, the Australian has returned on superb form this season. Peter has entered eight ISAF Grade 1 events between October 2004 and August 2005 and claimed victory in three consecutive events. The first win was at Match Race Germany in May, where he defeated Jesper BANK (DEN). Later that month he was in Croatia wining his fifth ACI H1 Match Race title against Philippe PRESTI (FRA), before heading north again to Sweden for the Swedish Match Cup which he won for the sixth time in his career. Peter’s consistent performance also saw him taking that coveted top spot on the ISAF World Match Race Rankings on 22 June 2005.

ISAF Open World Match Racing Ranking at the end of the nomination period (24 August 2005) - 1

© Gilles Martin-Raget

The Jules Verne Trophy is the ultimate target for the offshore speed sailor and Bruno PEYRON is a man who has more miles than most to his credit. Despite the disappointment of abandoning his record attempt in March 2004, it was not long before Bruno and his team were back on the start line. In September 2004 the team broke the Marseille to Catharge Record, before they returned to base in Lorient, France to prepare for their main goal. On 24 January 2005, the Maxi-catamaran Orange II began another attempt to win the Jules Verne Trophy and the outright round the world record. Just over seven weeks later, skippered masterfully by Bruno, Orange II was back, having swallowed up the oceans and broken the record by more than seven days – an unbelievable achievement by an outstanding sailor.

Between May and July, Bruno was in action in the Nokia Oops Cup, a combination of offshore races and city races sailed in Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark, Norway and Russia using the Formula 60 trimarans. Bruno and his Stena Sovcomflot team did not finish below third in any of the stages and won the overall prize with a race to spare.

© B Stichelbaut

The Vendée Globe is one of the most demanding round the world yacht races and through that race Vincent RIOU came out from the wings onto centre stage. Vincent sailed a spectacular race in a highly competitive field in which the lead changed numerous times. As the finish approached the three leading boats, Vincent’s PRB, Boundelle skippered by Jean-Pierre LE CAM (FRA) and Mike GOLDING’s (GBR) Ecover played a cat and mouse game of psychological warfare as they pushed themselves and their boats to the very edge.

The final result went down to the wire and Vincent spent his last few days of the race keeping a very close eye on the progress of second placed Boundelle who had held the lead as close as three days before he finished. On 2 February 2005, Vincent returned to Les Sables de’Olonne to a hero’s welcome for winning the Vendée Globe 2004/2005. Alongside victory came another prize, a new single-handed round the world monohull record which took more than five days off his friend Michel DESJOYEAUX’s (FRA) record from 2002.

Rohan VEAL is considered by many to be the most highly skilled hydrofoil sailor in the world. Rohan’s talents were set in stone at the 2005 International Moth World Championship where he blitzed the competition, winning every race in a variety of conditions by anything from two to 17 minutes. Rohan’s performance was the most dominant in Moth Class history and he is the first sailor to ever win the World title using hydrofoils.

Rohan’s talents on the water are matched by a drive to achieve off the water. His pursuit of the best designs and collaborations and his dedication to his sport is further illustrated by his commitment to the younger sailors in his class and yacht club who regularly benefit from his advice, experience and equipment.