The skippers in the Velux 5 Oceans race are making final preparations to their yachts down at the Waterside Marina in Norfolk, ahead of the final sprint back across the Atlantic to Bilbao, Spain this Sunday 15 April. But they still had time to celebrate their achievements to date in a prize giving ceremony last night. Graham Dalton was the only skipper in the race to be left out of the celebrations; he is still sailing, in a race against time to make it to Norfolk before the cut-off time tomorrow.

The yachts will leave Norfolk at 13:00, following a series of City of Norfolk celebrations to mark the stopover. A Velux 5 Oceans “Party in the Park”, will include a race showcase featuring the high and low points of the race thus far, including the dramatic abandonment of Hugo Boss in the Southern Ocean and skipper Alex Thompson’s rescue by his fellow competitor, British skipper Mike Golding, who was then forced to retire with a broken mast on Ecover.

The race restart will be from a point just south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. At 1300hrs the starting gun will send the sailors on the final stage of their journey. But not without a send-off that involves a British aircraft carrier, a helicopter journey out to the start line for the skippers from downtown Norfolk, as well as music and festivities for the crowds of Norfolk well-wishers waving goodbye to the sailors from the Waterside Marina.

Photo: OnEdition
The skippers enjoy the Sake Ceremony at the prize-giving of the second leg of the VELUX 5 Oceans in Norfolk