Solo Briton on round-the-world challenge

Yachtsman Chris Stanmore-Major set sail in a solo round the world race yesterday hoping to land a British win for the first time in more than 40 years.

The sailor is one of five skippers who started the Velux 5 Oceans race off La Rochelle in France in perfect weather conditions.

The 33-year-old, from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, is competing in the 29,000 mile five-leg race aboard his 60-foot boat named Spartan – so called because it reflects the state of his bank account, the sailor joked.

He is the only Briton in the small field, which has been hit by a lack of boat sponsorship in the sport since the recession and other competitions. Stanmore-Major is an experienced sailor who took part as a skipper in last year’s Clipper Round The Round Race, but this is his first solo effort.

He is hoping to end a hoodoo for British sailing with a solo win. No Briton has managed it around the world since Sir Robin Knox-Johnston came first in the Golden Globe in 1969.

“I’m very confident. The primary objective is to win and getting around the world is part of the winning,” he explained.

“The objective is for a Briton to win a solo round the world race. It’s interesting that for such a strong maritime country we have not won a solo race for so long.”

The fleet will firstly sail to Cape Town, South Africa. The race then stops in Wellington, New Zealand, Salvado, Brazil and Charleston, South Carolina before returning to La Rochelle in June 2011.

The four other skippers taking part are: American Brad Van Liew, Belgian Christophe Bullen, Canadian Derek Hatfield and Zbigniew Gutkowski from Poland.