BOC Challenge

The BOC Challenge was a round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed in stages so that each skipper could rest and refit at stopovers, in contrast to non-stop events such as the Vendee Globe. It was established in 1982 with main sponsorship from the gases company BOC and was run every four years. The first edition was won by Philippe Jeantot, who took all four legs in a little over 159 days. The concept was inspired by the Golden Globe Race, the first single-handed round-the-world race. Early editions ran from Newport, Rhode Island, with stops in Cape Town, Sydney and South America, and boats raced in classes by length. In 1998 the event was renamed Around Alone, and for 2006 it became the Velux 5 Oceans Race under sponsor Velux; the Wikipedia article on that race covers all of these names as one event. The 2010-11 edition, sailed by only five entries, was the last, and the race has not been held since.