| Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race | |
| Founded: | 1960 |
| Organizer: | Royal Western Yacht Club |
| Start: | Plymouth, England |
| Finish: | Newport, Rhode Island, United States |
| Type: | Single-handed sailing Yacht racing |
| Website: | |
The Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race (STAR) is an east-to-west yacht race across the North Atlantic. When inaugurated in 1960, it was the first single-handed ocean yacht race; it is run from Plymouth in England to Newport, Rhode Island in the United States, and has generally been held on a four yearly basis.
The race is organised by the Royal Western Yacht Club and was originally sponsored by the UK-based newspaper The Observer, and known as the Observer Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race; due to changes in sponsorship, it has been known as the CSTAR, Europe 1 STAR, and the Europe 1 New Man STAR. After the 2000 edition, the RWYC took the decision to split the race into two events, one using smaller boats and intended for amateurs and young sailors, the other for professionals. The amateur event was raced as The OSTAR ("Original STAR") from 2005.[1] The professional version is raced as The Transat starting in 2004.
The 2020 races were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
The Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race was conceived by Herbert "Blondie" Hasler in 1956. The whole idea of a single-handed ocean yacht race was a revolutionary concept at the time, as the idea was thought to be extremely impractical; but this was especially true given the adverse conditions of their proposed route — a westward crossing of the north Atlantic Ocean, against the prevailing winds.
Hasler sought sponsorship for a race, but by 1959, no-one had been prepared to back the race. Finally, though, The Observer newspaper provided sponsorship, and in 1960, under the management of the Royal Western Yacht Club of England, the Observer Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race, or OSTAR, was on.[3] [4] [5]
The first run of the race was a great success; since then, it has run every four years, and has become firmly established as one of the major events on the yachting calendar. The name of the event has changed several times due to changes in main sponsor; it has been known as the CSTAR, Europe 1 STAR, and the Europe 1 New Man STAR. The professional event has been run as The Transat from 2004, while the race smaller boats is run as the OSTAR. Throughout its history, however, the essentials of the race have remained the same. It has also become known as a test-bed for new innovations in yacht racing; many new ideas started out in "the STAR".
The course of the race is westwards against the prevailing winds of the north Atlantic over a distance of around 3000nmi. The first edition of the race was from Plymouth United Kingdom to New York City; the editions from 1964 to 2000 were sailed from Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island; the 2004 event sailed from Plymouth to Boston, Massachusetts.[5] [6] [7]
The actual course steered is the decision of the individual skipper, and the result of the race can hinge on the chosen route:[8]
This variety of routes is one of the factors which makes an east-to-west north Atlantic crossing interesting, as different skippers try different strategies against each other. In practice, though, the winning route is usually somewhere between the great circle and the rhumb line.
The Observer Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race of 1960 was a milestone in sailing, being the first single-handed ocean yacht race. One hundred and fifteen people expressed an interest in the race, and there were eight entries, of whom five actually took part. Only four were at the starting line on June 11, however, as Jean Lacombe arrived late and started three days after the others. All of the boats were monohulls; this was to be the only edition of the race without multihulls. It was also the only edition of the race sailed from Plymouth to New York City.
The skippers tried a variety of routing strategies. Hasler chose the northern route, to avoid the depressions; Chichester and Lewis stayed closer to the great circle; Lacombe and Howells chose more southerly routes. Hasler sailed his junk-rigged Jester; Chichester had by far the longest boat, his 400NaN0 Gipsy Moth III, and this was reflected in the results:[4] [5]
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | Class | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gipsy Moth III | Mono-40 | 40 days 12 hours 30 min | ||
| 2 | Jester | Mono-26 | 48 days 12 hours 02 min | ||
| 3 | Cardinal Vertue | Mono-25 | 55 days 00 hours 50 min | ||
| 4 | EIRA | Mono-25 | 62 days 05 hours 50 min | ||
| 5 | Cap Horn | Mono-21.5 | 74 days ?? hours ?? min |
The race had a huge impact on ocean sailing, and in particular solo sailing. Hasler's wind-vane self-steering gear revolutionised short-handed sailing, and his other major innovation — using a junk rig for safer and more manageable shorthanded sailing — influenced many subsequent sailors.[9] [10]
Thirteen competitors started the next edition of the race in 1964, which by now was firmly established on the racing scene. All of the five original competitors entered, and all five improved their original times; but the show was stolen by French naval officer Éric Tabarly, who entered a custom-built 440NaN0 plywood ketch, Pen Duick II. The days of racers sailing the family boat were numbered following Tabarly's performance, for which he was awarded the Legion of Honour by president Charles de Gaulle. It is also noteworthy that Tabarly and Jean Lacombe were the only French entrants in this race; Tabarly's success was instrumental in popularising the sport in France, the country which in future years would come to dominate it.
This was to be the year in which several future trends were established. Multihulls made their first appearance — sailing in the same class as the other boats; and the race featured the use of radio, for the first time, by several competitors who gave daily progress reports to their sponsors.[4] [6] [11]
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | Class | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pen Duick II | Mono-44 | 27 days 03 hours 56 min | ||
| 2 | Gipsy Moth III | Mono-40 | 29 days 23 hours 57 min | ||
| 3 | Akka | Mono-35 | 32 days 18 hours 08 min | ||
| 4 | Lively Lady | Mono-36 | 36 days 17 hours 30 min | ||
| 5 | Jester | Mono-26 | 37 days 22 hours 05 min | ||
| 6 | Stardrift | Mono-30 | 38 days 03 hours 23 min | ||
| 7 | Rehu Moana | Cat-40 | 38 days 12 hours 04 min | ||
| 8 | Ilala | Mono-36 | 46 days 06 hours 26 min | ||
| 9 | Golif | Mono-22 | 46 days 07 hours 05 min | ||
| 10 | Vanda Caelea | Mono-25 | 49 days 18 hours 45 min | ||
| 11 | Misty Miller | Cat-30 | 53 days 00 hours 05 min | ||
| 12 | Ericht 2 | Mono-31 | 60 days 11 hours 15 min | ||
| 13 | Folatre | Tri-35 | 61 days 14 hours 04 min | ||
| 14 | Marco Polo | Mono-28 | 63 days 13 hours 30 min | ||
| RET | Tammie Norie | Mono-40 | retired |
The race was by now acquiring a reputation for pushing forward the technology of ocean sailing, and the 1968 edition featured the first use of computer-based weather routing. A far cry from today's laptop-laden yachts, this consisted of a land-based mainframe computer, the English Electric KDF9, linked by radio to Geoffrey Williams in his boat Sir Thomas Lipton. Although outside private routing advice of this kind is no longer permitted in most "unassisted" races, it is now routine for ocean sailors to do similar analyses using their on-board computers to process public weather information.
Williams created another story by his use of the "shortcut" through the Nantucket Shoal. This dangerous route was supposed to be illegal, but due to an error the race instructions required skippers only to keep south of Nantucket, instead of Nantucket Light. Williams successfully navigated the treacherous route in a gale. Gales were a major feature of the race, with a large storm on the 11th of June, and Hurricane Brenda, both contributing to the large number of retired and abandoned boats. One casualty was Éric Tabarly, aboard his new trimaran Pen Duick IV, who collided with a cargo and sailed back to England with structural damage. Another was the first woman to have taken part, the West German Edith Baumann, aboard her 39-foot trimaran "Koala III".[12]
Although won by a monohull, this race saw the multihulls firmly established on the scene. Thirteen of the thirty-five boats entered were multihulls, led by the controversial proa Cheers; many observers felt that a proa was entirely unsuitable for ocean sailing, but she made a fast time along the Azores route.[4] [13]
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | Class | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Thomas Lipton | Mono-57 | 25 days 20 hours 33 min | ||
| 2 |  Bruce Dalling (RSA) | Voortrekker | Mono-50 | 26 days 13 hours 42 min | |
| 3 | Cheers | Proa-40 | 27 days 00 hours 13 min | ||
| 4 | Spirit of Cutty Sark | Mono-53 | 29 days 10 hours 17 min | ||
| 5 | Golden Cockerel | Cat-42.5 | 31 days 16 hours 24 min | ||
| 6 | Opus | Mono-32 | 34 days 08 hours 23 min | ||
| 7 | Gancia Girl | Tri-42 | 34 days 13 hours 15 min | ||
| 8 | MYTH OF MALHAM | Mono-40 | 36 days 01 hours 41 min | ||
| 9 | MAXINE | Mono-34.5 | 37 days 13 hours 47 min | ||
| 10 | MAGUELONNE | Mono-35 | 38 days 09 hours 10 min | ||
| 11 | DOG WATCH | Mono-27 | 38 days 12 hours 13 min | ||
| 12 | SYLVIA 11 | Mono-36 | 40 days 00 hours 16 min | ||
| 13 | FIONE | Mono-20 | 40 days 14 hours 13 min | ||
| 14 | MEX | Mono-37 | 41 days 10 hours 46 min | ||
| 15 | ROB ROY | Mono-32.5 | 42 days 03 hours 49 min | ||
| 16 | STARTLED FAUN | Tri-33 | 45 days 10 hours 08 min | ||
| 17 | AMISTAD | Tri-25 | 47 days 18 hours 05 min | ||
| 18 | JESTER | Mono-26 | 57 days 10 hours 40 min | ||
| DSQ | GOODWIN II | Mono-19.5 | DSQ -- | ||
| RET | PEN DUICK IV | Tri-67 | RET -- | ||
| RET | COILA | Tri-50 | ABN -- | ||
| RET | SAN GIORGIO | Cat-53 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | ATLANTIS III | Mono-26.5 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | WILECA | Mono-27 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | TAMOURE | Tri-26 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | KOALA III | Tri-39.5 | -- ABN -- | ||
| RET | ZEEVALK | Mono-39.5 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | WHITE GHOST | Tri-34 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | AYE-AYE | Mono 33 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | GUNTAR III | Mono-41 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | OCEAN HIGHLANDER | Cat-45 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | LA DELIRANTE | Mono-36 | -- RET -- | ||
| ABN | AMBRIMA | Mono | 37—ABN -- | ||
| ABN | YAKSHA | Tri-50 | -- ABN -- | ||
| RET | RALPH | Mono-58 | -- RET -- | - | |
The 17 non-finishers included Éric Tabarly on Pen Duick IV, and Alex Carozzo of Italy on San Giorgio. Carozzo went on to compete in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, the other major single-handed sailing event of the year.
Tabarly's trimaran Pen Duick IV made a return to the race in 1972, sailed by Alain Colas, at the head of a strong French contingent; of the 55 entrants, 12 were French, and the top three finishers were all French.
The average boat size was increasing rapidly, as longer boats are capable of higher speeds. A sign of the changing times was that the rules had a minimum size, to deter unsafe entries, but no maximum; and so the star of the monohull fleet was Vendredi Treize (Friday the 13th), a 1280NaN0 three-masted schooner — a huge boat for a single-hander. However, the race was now dominated by the multihulls, with Colas winning on a trimaran and four of the top six finishers being multis.
The 55 entrants included the first female finishers, two French and one Polish. Sir Francis Chichester, now 70 years old, sailed with the fleet in Gipsy Moth V; however, he was unable to complete what was to be his last race, and he died later the same year. Peter Crowther made the longest crossing in the race's history while sailing the oldest boat, the 66-year-old gaff cutter Golden Vanity; his crossing took 88 days.[4] [14]
The top ten finishers:
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | Class | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pen Duick IV | Tri-70 | 20 days 13 hours 15 min | |
| 2 | Vendredi Treize | Mono-128 | 21 days 05 hours 14 min | |
| 3 | Cap 33 | Tri-53 | 24 days 05 hours 40 min | |
| 4 | British Steel | Mono-59 | 24 days 19 hours 28 min | |
| 5 | Three Cheers | Tri-46 | 27 days 11 hours 04 min | |
| 6 | Architeuthis | Tri-55 | 28 days 11 hours 55 min | |
| 7 | Strongbow | Mono-65 | 28 days 12 hours 46 min | |
| 8 | Toucan | Mono-34.5 | 28 days 12 hours 54 min | |
| 9 | Sagittario | Mono-50.5 | 28 days 23 hours 05 min | |
| 10 | Whisper | Mono-53.5 | 29 days 11 hours 15 min | |
| 11 | ISLES DU FRIOUL | Mono-48 | 30 days 02 hours 45 min | |
| 12 | POLONEZ | Mono-45 | 30 days 16 hours 55 min | |
| 13 | BINKIE II | Mono-32 | 31 days 18 hours 10 min | |
| 14 | ALOA VII | Mono-35 | 32 days 22 hours 51 min | |
| 15 | FLYING ANGEL | Mono-46 | 33 days 09 hours 21 min | |
| 16 | WILD ROCKET | Mono-63 | 34 days 13 hours 38 min | |
| 17 | ALOA I | Mono 35 | 34 days 17 hours 30 min | |
| 18 | CAMBRONNE | Mono-45.5 | 35 days 10 hours 24 min | |
| 19 | CONCORDE | Mono-43 | 36 days 01 hours 19 min | |
| 20 | GAZELLE | Mono-47.5 | 36 days 02 hours 07 min | |
| 21 | LA BAMBA OF MERSEA | Mono-34 | 36 days 04 hours 30 min | |
| 22 | BLUE SMOKE | Mono-26 | 36 days 21 hours 26 min | |
| 23 | WHITE DOLPHIN | Mono-32 | 38 days 07 hours 17 min | |
| 24 | RON GLAS | Mono-47 | 38 days 09 hours 50 min | |
| 25 | SHAMAAL | Mono-25.5 | 38 days 10 hours 30 min | |
| 26 | BLUE GIPSY | Mono-28 | 39 days 08 hours 30 min | |
| 27 | TRUMPETER | Tri-44 | 39 days 13 hours 25 min | |
| 28 | MEX | Mono-35 | 40 days 08 hours 23 min | |
| 29 | SURPRISE | Mono-38 | 41 days 04 hours 45 min | |
| 30 | MARY KATE OF ARUN | Mono-38 | 41 days 17 hours 17 min | |
| 31 | FRANCETTE | Mono-25 | 43 days 09 hours 38 min | |
| 32 | MIRANDA | Mono-39 | 45 days 10 hours 05 min | |
| 33 | TINIE | Mono 26.5 | 46 days 15 hours 30 min | |
| 34 | SCUFFLER III | Mono-32.5 | 49 days 02 hours 00 min | |
| 35 | LAURIC | Mono-34 | 51 days 14 hours 33 min | |
| 36 | SUMMERSONG | Mono-28 | 51 days 23 hours 05 min | |
| 37 | WILLING GRIFFIN | Mono-19 | 52 days 11 0hours 6 min | |
| 38 | KOMODOR | Mono-42 | 57 days 03 hours 18 min | |
| 39 | JESTER | Mono-26 | 58 days 08 hours 18 min | |
| 40 | PS | Mono-30.5 | 59 days 06 hours 12 min | |
| TLE | NIKE | Mono-22.5 | 60 days 13 hours 12 min | |
| TLE | CASPER | Mono-31 | 63 days 22 hours 00 min | |
| TLE | GOLDEN VANITY | Mono-38 | 88 days | |
| ABN | MERSEA PEARL | Mono-43 | Boat Abandoned | |
| RET | CHICA BOBA | Mono-41 | -- RET -- | |
| RET | TULOA | Mono-33 | -- RET -- | |
| RET | TAHITI BILL | Cat-43 | -- RET -- | |
| RET | SECOND LIFE | Mono-71 | -- RET -- | |
| RET | OLVA II | Mono-46.5 | -- RET -- | |
| RET | GIPSY MOTH V | Mono-57 | -- RET -- | |
| RET | LADY OF FLEET | Cat-41 | -- RET -- | |
| RET | JUSTA LISTANG | Mono-25 | -- RET -- | |
| RET | ONYZ | Mono-43 | -- RET -- | |
| RET | BRISTOL FASHION | Mono-24.5 | -- RET -- | |
| RET | NAMAR IV | Mono-32.5 | -- RET -- | |
There were eleven retirements, and one boat was abandoned.
1976 saw the biggest edition of the race, in all senses. 125 boats entered, and the 1280NaN0 Vendredi Treize returned as ITT Oceanic. However, the all-time size record for the race, and probably for any single-hander, was set by Alain Colas, sailing the 2360NaN0 four-masted schooner Club Mediterranée.[15] Although about the same overall length as HMS Victory (which had a crew of 820),[16] this modern boat was expressly designed for easy handling.
At the start of the race, during login, in it was discovered that one of the entrants, David Sandeman, was under age at 17 years and 176 days, which was 189 days or 6 months under the youngest age permitted at the time. He had entered "Sea Raider", a 35 ft monohull which had very carefully been equipped and prepared in Jersey, Channel Islands for this race. David was not allowed to officially start, but he crossed the line unofficially after the last boat had left. Halfway across the Atlantic a Russian trawler ran into him in the dark during a storm after being warned with a red spotlight. The Russian crew never saw him, but their ship damaged the starboard mast halyards, which required substantial work by the Russian crew to repair the boat sufficiently to allow it to continue. David Sandeman was later listed in the Guinness Book of Records as being the youngest person to single-handedly sail the Atlantic between Jersey, UK, and Rhode Island.
The race was organised into three classes: Jester (J): up to 380NaN0; Gipsy Moth (G): 38 to 650NaN0; and Penduick (P): over 65 ft, unlimited. Monohulls and multihulls were not segregated. It is notable that the second-placed boat overall was a trimaran of the smallest class, and perhaps even more so that third place went to a monohull from the same class.
Two major depressions hit the race and caused a record fifty retirements. Yvon Fauconnier and Jean-Yves Terlain, two of the top favorites, lost their boats due to structural failure and were rescued by the same Soviet cargo ship. Tony Bullimore was rescued by a passing ship after his boat caught fire. The race also suffered two fatalities, the first in its history. Englishman Mike Flanagan,[17] brother of renowned sculptor Barry Flanagan,[18] was lost overboard from Galloping Gael. A particularly sad story was that of Mike McMullen, whose wife Lizzie was electrocuted and killed while helping him to prepare Three Cheers for the race, just two days before the start. Believing that Lizzie would have wanted him to go on, he started the race, but was never seen again.
Colas in Club Mediterranée was plagued by halyard problems; although 330miles in the lead, he was forced to pull into Halifax, Nova Scotia to make repairs, and was penalised 10% of his elapsed time (58 hours) for accepting help, which dropped him from second to fifth place. The race went to Éric Tabarly, whose surprise win on the 730NaN0 Pen Duick VI (his radio had broken down and no one knew of his whereabouts until he crossed the finish line) was his second; it was also the last win for a monohull.[4] [19]
Clare Francis in Robertson's Golly (Ohlson 38) finished 13th and broke the women's single-handed transatlantic record by three days.
The top finishers (including the top three of each class):
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat Name | Class | Boat Type | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class P | ||||||
| 1 | Pen Duick VI | P | Mono-73 | 23 days 20 hours 12 min | ||
| 2 | CAP 33 | P | Tri-53 | 26 days 08 hours 15 min | ||
| 3 | CLUB MEDITERRANEE | P | Mono-236 | Correct 26 days 13 hours 36 min Elapsed 24 days 03 hours 36 min | ||
| ABN | KRITER III | P | Cat-70 | -- ABN -- | ||
| RET | ITT OCEANIC | P | Mono-128 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | SPIRIT OF AMERICA | P | Tri-62 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | WILD ROCKET | P | Mono-63 | -- RET -- | ||
| Class G | ||||||
| 1 | PETROUCHKA | G | Mono-47 | 27 days 00 hours 55 min | ||
| 2 | ARAUNA IV | G | Mono-38 | 27 days 15 hours 32 min | ||
| 3 | MOONSHINE | G | Mono-40 | 28 days 12 hours 46 min | ||
| 4 | VENILIA | G | Mono-54 | 29 days 00 hours 15 min | ||
| 5 | QUEST | G | Tri-54 | 30 days 07 hours 30 min | ||
| 6 | SIRTEC | G | Mono-39 | 31 days 23 hours 09 min | ||
| 7 | OLD MOORE'S ALMANAC | G | Tri-42 | 32 days 02 hours 06 min | ||
| 8 | TAHITI BILL | G | Cat-43 | 32 days 05 hours 19 min | ||
| 9 | CARINA | G | Mono-41 | 33 days 01 hours 22 min | ||
| 10 | WIND QUEST | G | Mono-40 | 34 days 08 hours 44 min | ||
| 11 | CHICA BOBA | G | Mono-41 | 37 days 06 hours 00 min | ||
| 12 | RON GLAS | G | Mono-47 | 38 days 17 hours 40 min | ||
| 13 | CRISAN | G | Mono-38 | 39 days 08 hours 15 min | ||
| 14 | GALWAY BLAZER | G | Mono-42 | 39 days 12 hours 57 min | ||
| 15 | MIRANDA | G | Mono-38 | 42 days 13 hours 14 min | ||
| 16 | DRAGON | G | Mono-37.5 | 45 days 12 hours 45 min | ||
| 17 | BESTEVAER | G | Mono-54 | 49 days 07 hours 22 min | ||
| 18 | BYLGIA | G | Mono-40 | 49 days 10 hours 34 min | ||
| MOB | THREE CHEERS | G | Tri-46 | Sailor Lost at Sea | ||
| ABN | TORIA | G | Tri-42 | Abandoned boat due to fire | ||
| ABN | GAULOISE | G | Mono-57 | Abandoned boat as sank | ||
| ABN | NYARLATHOTEP | G | Mono-42 | -- ABN -- | ||
| RET | BOLLEMAAT | G | Mono 45 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | JADE | G | Mono-51 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | FLYING ANGEL | G | Mono-63 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | NAMAR V | G | Mono-45 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | VALITALIA | G | Mono-42 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | PEN AR BED | G | Mono-40 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | CS & RB II | G | Mono-60 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | KEEP CAP D'AGDE | G | Mono-53 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | CRODA WAY | G | Tri-35 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | PRONUPTIA | G | Mono-43 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | DRAKKAR III | G | Mono-39 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | VANESSA | G | Mono-43 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | ALTERGO | G | Tri-39 | -- RET -- | ||
| Class J | ||||||
| 1 | THE THIRD TURTLE | J | Tri-32 | 24 days 20 hours 39 min | ||
| 2 | SPANIEL | J | Mono-38 | 24 days 23 hours 40 min | ||
| 3 | FT | J | Tri-35 | 27 days 07 hours 45 min | ||
| 4 | FRIENDS | J | Tri-30 | 27 days 10 hours 37 min | ||
| 5 | OBJECTIF SUD 3 | J | Mono-38 | 28 days 09 hours 58 min | ||
| 6 | ROBERTSON'S GOLLY | J | Mono-37.5 | 29 days 04 hours 22 min | ||
| 7 | TYFOON V | J | Mono-34.5 | 29 days 21 hours 12 min | ||
| 8= | PAWN OF NIEUPORT | J | Mono-30 | 30 days 15 hours 34 min | ||
| 8= | NOVA | J | Tri-33 | 30 days 15 hours 34 min | ||
| 10 | ACKEL FRANCE | J | Mono-38 | 31 days 03 hours 12 min | ||
| 11 | LORCA | J | Mono-29.5 | 31 days 14 hours 45 min | ||
| 12 | WILD RIVAL | J | Mono-34 | 32 days 13 hours 48 min | ||
| 13 | PETIT BRETON | J | Mono-33.5 | 32 days 19 hours 57 min | ||
| 14 | DADZTOY II | J | Mono-38 | 32 days 20 hours 55 min | ||
| 15 | ADHARA | J | Mono-33.5 | 33 days 02 hours 54 min | ||
| 16 | PIERRE | J | Mono-38 | 33 days 03 hours 39 min | ||
| 17 | HELENE III | J | Mono-35 | 33 days 08 hours 41 min | ||
| 18 | SHAMAAL II | J | Mono-25.5 | 33 days 12 hours 51 min | ||
| 19 | PYTHEAS | J | Mono-38 | 34 days 10 hours 10 min | ||
| 20 | AZULOA | J | Tri-32 | 35 days 03 hours 35 min | ||
| 21 | INNOVATOR OF MANA | J | Mono-28 | 35 days 12 hours 25 min | ||
| 22 | FROMSTOCK FILIUS | J | Mono-28 | 35 days 16 hours 07 min | ||
| 23 | FREEMERLE | J | Mono-32 | 35 days 22 hours 50 min | ||
| 24 | KOR KAROLI | J | Mono-30 | 36 days 01 hours 50 min | ||
| 25 | PATRIARCHE | J | Mono-33.5 | 36 days 05 hours 14 min | ||
| 26 | JABULISIWE | J | Mono-28 | 38 days 08 hours 44 min | ||
| 27 | SWEDLADY | J | Mono-27.5 | 36 days 11 hours 10 min | ||
| 28 | EVA | J | Mono-34.5 | 37 days 10 hours 20 min | ||
| 29 | EVALOA | J | Mono-34 | 37 days 10 hours 24 min | ||
| 30 | LILLIAM | J | Mono-29.5 | 37 days 21 hours 25 min | ||
| 31 | EDITH | J | Tri-31 | 39 days 04 hours 30 min | ||
| 32 | ACHILLES NEUF | J | Mono-30 | 39 days 06 hours 02 min | ||
| 33 | NIKE | J | Mono 22.5 | 39 days 10 hours 49 min | ||
| 34 | ENGLISH ROSE | J | Mono 30 | 39 days 11 hours 29 min | ||
| 35 | CATAPHA | J | Mono-32 | 39 days 17 hours 15 min | ||
| 36 | TULOA | J | Mono-33 | 41 days 11 hours 59 min | ||
| 37 | CASTENUELA | J | Mono-34 | 42 days 10 hours 10 min | ||
| 38 | WESTWARD | J | Mono-30 | 42 days 10 hours 11 min | ||
| 39 | AMITIE | J | Mono-35 | 42 days 17 hours 30 min | ||
| 40 | HESPERIA | J | Mono-29.5 | 42 days 21 hours 18 min | ||
| 41 | ACHILLE | J | Mono-33 | 43 days 08 hours 41 min | ||
| 42 | TIKKA III | J | Mono-37 | 44 days 00 hours 37 min | ||
| 43 | LADY ANNE OF ST DONATS | J | Mono-25.5 | 44 days 03 hours 47 min | ||
| 44 | CAIPIRINHA | J | Mono-30 | 44 days 04 hours 45 min | ||
| 45 | GOLDEN HARP | J | Mono-30 | 44 days 19 hours 14 min | ||
| 46 | CASPER | J | Mono-31 | 44 days 21 hours 05 min | ||
| 47 | LAURIC | J | Mono-34 | 45 days 02 hours 29 min | ||
| 48 | JANINA | J | Mono-25 | 45 days 03 hours 12 min | ||
| 49 | AIREDALE | J | Mono-29.5 | 46 days 11 hours 17 min | ||
| 50 | GALADRIEL OF LOTHLORIEN | J | Mono-25.5 | 48 days 03 hours 10 min | ||
| 51 | SONGEUR | J | Mono-24 | 49 days 05 hours 40 min | ||
| 52 | PRODIGAL | J | Mono-25 | 49 days 19 hours 30 min | ||
| MOB | GALLOPING GAEL | J | Mono-38 | Sailor and Boat Lost at Sea | ||
| OUT | BLUFF | J | Mono-26 | -- OUT -- | ||
| OUT | MEINWEN | J | Mono-32 | -- OUT -- | ||
| OUT | BIGOUDEN BRISE | J | Mono-27.5 | -- OUT -- | ||
| OUT | BALLYCLAIRE | J | Mono-33.5 | -- OUT -- | ||
| OUT | ONE HAND CLAPPING | J | Mono-28 | -- OUT -- | ||
| ABN | 5100 | J | Mono-37 | -- ABN -- | ||
| RET | TINIE II | J | Mono-36 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | SILKE | J | Mono-25 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | JESTER | J | Mono-26 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | UNIBRAS BRYTHON | J | Mono-38 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | SPIRIT OF SURPRISE | J | Cat-25 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | AQUARIUS | J | Mono-28 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | ET SOEKI | J | Mono-27 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | ACTEIA II | J | Mono-39 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | KARATE | J | Mono-33 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | TUMULT | J | Mono-23 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | OBJECTIF SUD I | J | Mono-38 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | DEMON DEMO | J | Mono-33 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | SILMARIL | J | Tri-31 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | KERVILOR | J | Mono-34 | -- ABN -- | ||
| RET | PANDA 31 | J | Mono-32 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | ARCTIC SKUA | J | Mono-31 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | GILLYGALOO | J | Mono-32 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | SLEUTH HOUND | J | Mono-32 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | LOGO | J | Mono-38 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | IRONIGUY | J | Mono-32 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | SHARAVOGE | J | Mono-25 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | KYLIE | J | Mono-26 | -- RET -- | ||
| ABN | OBJECTIF SUD 2 | J | Mono-38 | -- ABN -- | ||
| RET | TRUE NORTH | J | Mono-36 | -- RET -- | ||
The 1980 race introduced a length limit of 56 feet overall, to curb the excesses of previous races. The class sizes were adjusted downwards: Jester (J): up to 320NaN0; Gipsy Moth (G): 32 to 440NaN0; Penduick (P): 44 to 560NaN0. The new restrictions were unpopular with some sailors, particularly the French, many of whom opted to sail instead in the new Route du Rhum race.
The race was once again dominated by multihulls, with the top five places all taken by trimarans, and marked the end of even competition between monos and multis. Éric Tabarly was to compete, aboard the hydrofoil trimaran Paul Ricard, but was unable to enter due to injury. The race continued its history of innovation with the first use of the Argos satellite-based tracking system; this system allows boats to be tracked during the race, and can also be used to signal distress. The use of this system has now become a major feature of many ocean races, such as the Vendée Globe. The cost of the system was covered by introducing a new race sponsor, the radio station Europe 1, in conjunction with the Observer.
The winner was American Phil Weld, in only his second OSTAR, whose trimaran Moxie was custom built to the 560NaN0 limit; he set a new course record of 18 days. Many were impressed by this popular sailor's win at the age of 65. The preponderance of larger boats, and particularly multihulls, left the smaller Jesters seriously outclassed; the highest-placed was Free Newspapers, sailed by John Chaundy, who finished in 29th place, with a time of 28 days.,[4] [20] [21] RWYC OSTAR Race Results - 1980
Dame Naomi James, who became the second lady to circumnavigate the globe single-handedly in 1977/78 was reunited with the Express Crusader (fitted out and renamed Kriter Lady) for the race. She was the first woman back and broke the women's speed record. Her husband Rob James also competed in that race, finishing twelfth in the trimaran Boatfile.
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | !Class | Time | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | ||||||
| 1 | Moxie | P | Tri-51 | 17 days 23 hours 12 min | ||
| 2 | THREE LEGS OF MANN III | P | Tri-53 | 18 days 06 hours 04 min | ||
| 3 | OLYMPUS PHOTO | P | Tri-46 | 18 days 07 hours 15 min | ||
| 4 | SPANIEL II | P | Mono-56 | 19 days 13 hours 25 min | ||
| 5 | CHICA BOBA | P | Mono-56 | 20 days 02 hours 30 min | ||
| 6 | KRITER VII | P | Tri-56 | 21 days 08 hours 01 min | ||
| 7 | KRITER VI | P | Mono-54 | 21 days 20 hours 30 min | ||
| 8 | GUIA FILA | P | Mono-44 | 22 days 02 hours 34 min | ||
| 9 | VOORTREKKER | P | Mono-49 | 23 days 12 hours 42 min | ||
| 10 | V.S.D. | P | Tri-52 | 24 days 01 hours 27 min | ||
| 11 | OPEN SPACE | P | Mono-52 | 25 days 01 hours 05 min | ||
| 12 | GARUDA | P | Mono-48 | 25 days 08 hours 23 min | ||
| 13 | KRITER LADY | P | Mono-53 | 25 days 19 hours 12 min | ||
| 14 | MULAT | P | Mono-56 | 42 days 18 hours 20 min | ||
| 15 | PYTHEAS II | P | Mono-47 | 49 days 08 hours 16 min | ||
| RET | GAULOISE IV | P | Mono-53 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | CHARLES HEIDSIECK II | P | Mono-48 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | MAURICE LIDCHI | P | Tri-51 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | TUESDAY'S CHILD | P | Mono-54 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | RACZYNSKI II | P | Mono-56 | -- RET -- | ||
| Class | ||||||
| 1 | JEANS FOSTER | G | Tri-38 | 18 days 06 hours 45 min | ||
| 2 | CHAUSSETTES OLYMPIA | G | Tri-35 | 18 days 17 hours 29 min | ||
| 3 | BRITTANY FERRIES I | G | Mono-44 | 21 days 00 hours 09 min | ||
| 4 | NIKE II | G | Mono 44 | 21 days 06 hours 21 min | ||
| 5 | STADT KREFELD | G | Mono-44 | 21 days 14 hours 22 min | ||
| 6 | TYPHOON VI | G | Mono-44 | 21 days 15 hours 01 min | ||
| 7 | HYDOFOLIE | G | Tri-42 | 21 days 15 hours 51 min | ||
| 8 | BOATFILE | G | Tri-31 | 22 days 22 hours 55 min | ||
| 9 | FRANCE LOISIRS | G | Mono-44 | 23 days 10 hours 00 min | ||
| 10 | HAUTE-NENDAZ | G | Mono-36.5 | 24 days 03 hours 05 min | ||
| 11 | MOONSHINE | G | Mono-40 | 25 days 14 hours 07 min | ||
| 12 | THE THIRD TURTLE | G | Tri-32 | 25 days 20 hours 13 min | ||
| 13 | AMBERGRIS | G | Mono-37 | 26 days 00 hours 39 min | ||
| 14 | LES MENUIRES | G | Mono-44 | 26 days 15 hours 21 min | ||
| 15 | SPANIEL | G | Mono-38 | 26 days 19 hours 29 min | ||
| 16 | EDITH | G | Tri-31 | 28 days 04 hours 10 min | ||
| 17 | YOLDIA | G | Mono-37 | 28 days 05 hours 48 min | ||
| 18 | WILD RIVAL | G | Mono-34 | 28 days 13 hours 44 min | ||
| 19 | ATLANTIC HARP | G | Mono-43 | 29 days 06 hours 21 min | ||
| 20 | MOONSHADOW BASILDON | G | Mono-37.5 | 30 days 15 hours 30 min | ||
| 21 | CRUMPY NUT | G | Mono-43 | 30 days 16 hours 32 min | ||
| 22 | WARRIOR SHAMAAL | G | Mono 35 | 30 days 16 hours 45 min | ||
| 23 | BOLLEMAAT IV | G | Mono-44 | 30 days 21 hours 24 min | ||
| 24 | DEMON OF HAMBLE | G | Mono-33 | 30 days 23 hours 08 min | ||
| 25 | PARISIEN LIBERE | G | Tri 38 | 31 days 10 hours 45 min | ||
| 26 | RATSO II | G | Mono-38 | 31 days 11 hours 45 min | ||
| 27 | ABACUS | G | Mono-41.5 | 32 days 07 hours 17 min | ||
| 18 | MISTRAL | G | Mono-41.5 | 32 days 18 hours 35 min | ||
| 29 | TANGRA | G | Mono-36 | 34 days 10 hours 53 min | ||
| 30 | BLACK PEARL | G | Mono-41 | 35 days 11 hours 20 min | ||
| 31 | NORTH WIND | G | Mono-39 | 36 days 06 hours 43 min | ||
| 32 | CHRISTIAN SAUL | G | Tri-34 | 37 days 03 hours 11 min | ||
| 33 | CRISAN | G | Mono-38 | 38 days 14 hours 33 min | ||
| 34 | SEAGULL II | G | Mono-33 | 38 days 17 hours 00 min | ||
| 35 | PEGGY | G | Tri-31 | 40 days 20 hours 16 min | ||
| 36 | ELBE | G | Mono-36 | 41 days 10 hours 45 min | ||
| 37 | MISCIN | G | Mono-38 | 42 days 10 hours 00 min | ||
| OUT | OLD NAVY LIGHTS | G | Mono-34.5 | -- OUT -- | ||
| RET | LADY DONA | G | Mono-34 | -- RET -- | ||
| ABN | MOTOROLA | G | Mono-38 | -- ABN -- | ||
| OUT | SILKE | G | Mono-38 | -- OUT -- | ||
| ABN | FLEURY MICHON | G | Proa-42 | -- ABN -- | ||
| ABN | ROUNDABOUT | G | Mono-36.5 | -- ABN -- | ||
| ABN | LIVERY DOLE | G | Tri-35 | -- ABN -- | ||
| RET | SEA QUEST | G | Mono 39 | -- RET -- | ||
| ABN | MATTIA III | G | Tri-36 | -- ABN -- | ||
| RET | SERTA PERFECT SLEEPER | G | Mono-32 | -- RET -- | ||
| Class | ||||||
| 1 | FREE NEWSPAPERS | J | Mono-32 | 28 days 00 hours 56 min | ||
| 2 | JABULISIWE | J | Mono-28 | 30 days 14 hours 38 min | ||
| 3 | VICTORIA | J | Mono-31 | 30 days 18 hours 02 min | ||
| 4 | SADLER BLUEJACKET | J | Mono-25 | 30 days 19 hours 20 min | ||
| 5 | ACHILLEA | J | Mono-28 | 30 days 20 hours 49 min | ||
| 6 | DREAM WEAVER | J | Mono-27 | 31 days 23 hours 05 min | ||
| 7 | CAT MARINE | J | Tri-28 | 32 days 02 hours 50 min | ||
| 8 | EGRET | J | Mono-27 | 33 days 05 hours 25 min | ||
| 9 | TJISJE | J | Mono-29.5 | 36 days 22 hours 22 min | ||
| 10 | JEANTEX | J | Mono-31 | 38 days 03 hours 02 min | ||
| 11 | CECCO | J | Mono-26 | 38 days 08 hours 55 min | ||
| 12 | OLYMPUS SAILING | J | Mono-25 | 39 days 01 hours 46 min | ||
| 13 | ONE HAND CLAPPING | J | Mono-32 | 39 days 06 hours 56 min | ||
| 14 | LA PELIGROSA | J | Mono-30.5 | 39 days 16 hours 55 min | ||
| 15 | PRODIGAL | J | Mono-25 | 40 days 06 hours 09 min | ||
| 16 | CRYSTAL CATFISH | J | Mono-31 | 41 days 13 hours 18 min | ||
| 17 | MARE | J | Mono-30 | 43 days 03 hours 34 min | ||
| 18 | NOVIA | J | Mono-30 | 44 days 10 hours 42 min | ||
| 19 | CASPER | J | Mono-31 | 46 days 13 hours 52 min | ||
| DSQ | LE FIRST | J | Mono-32 | 26 days 22 hours 55 min (DSQ) | ||
| ABN | JESTER | J | Mono-26 | -- OUT -- | ||
| RET | JOMADA | J | Mono-30 | -- RET -- | ||
| RET | BRITTANY FERRIES II | J | Mono-29.5 | -- RET -- | ||
Canadian skippers Mike Birch and Bob Lush were the subject of a National Film Board of Canada documentary Singlehanders, released in 1982.[22]
The 1984 race saw the pace of technical innovation continue to accelerate. Custom-built trimarans were again the main force, but the monohulls also advanced, with the introduction of water ballast and other innovations. Some controversy over the size limitations in the previous race resulted in slightly larger classes, and the removal of restrictions on bow and stern overhangs; yachts were divided into five classes, but still with no distinction between monohulls and multihulls. Europe 1 continued to support the race, and Argos beacons were again used by all boats.
The first day of the race saw several dismastings in strong gales, and several skippers were awarded time for rescuing other racers. This resulted in an upset at the finish — Philippe Poupon, sailing the 560NaN0 trimaran Fleury Michon VI, arrived first with a time of 16 days 12 hours, and went to bed thinking that he had won. But the race was awarded to Yvon Fauconnier, who finished 10 hours later but was given a 16-hour time allowance for rendering assistance to Philippe Jeantot, whose catamaran Credit Agricole had capsized. The winner among the monohulls was Warren Luhrs, in his 60-footer Thursday's Child.[4] [23]
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | Class | Type | Time | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | ||||||
| 1 | Umupro Jardin V | I | Tri-53 | Corrected 16 days 06 hours 25 min Elapsed 16 days 22 hours 25 min | ||
| 2 | Fleury Michon | I | Tri-56 | 16 days 12 hours 25 min | ||
| 3 | Elf Aquitaine II | I | Cat-59 | 16 days 12 hours 48 min | ||
| 4 | Paul Ricard | I | Tri-60 | 16 days 14 hours 21 min | ||
| 5 | Travacrest Seaway | I | Tri-60 | 16 days 17 hours 23 min | ||
| 6 | Nantes | I | Tri-60 | 16 days 17 hours 51 min | ||
| 7 | L'Aiglon | I | Cat-60 | 16 days 20 hours 21 min | ||
| 8 | Ker Cadelac | I | Tri-50 | 16 days 21 hours 48 min | ||
| 9 | Thursday's Child | I | Mono-60 | 16 days 22 hours 27 min | ||
| 10 | KERMARINE | I | Tri-50 | 17 days 04 hours 28 min | ||
| 11 | MAINSTAY VOORTREKKER | I | Mono-60 | 17 days 22 hours 02 min | ||
| 12 | LESSIVE ST MARC | I | Tri-50 | 17 days 22 hours 17 min | ||
| 13 | CHICA BOBA III | I | Tri-60 | 19 days 10 hours 41 min | ||
| 14 | CARTERET SAVINGS | I | Tri-54 | 21 days 01 hours 50 min | ||
| 15 | REGION DE PICARDIE | I | Mono-60 | 21 days 08 hours 47 min | ||
| 16 | GLADIATOR | I | Mono-55 | 28 days 04 hours 38 min | ||
| RET | Biotherm II | I | Tri-60 | Damaged | ||
| RET | Colt Cars GB | I | Tri-60 | Dismasted | ||
| RET | 33 Export | I | Cat-60 | Damaged | ||
| RET | Fury | I | Cat-60 | Damaged | ||
| RET | June Clarke | BATCHELORS SWEET PEA | I | Tri | Pitchpoled 6 hours after start rescued by lifeboat | |
| RET | Lada Poch | I | Cat-54 | Dismasted | ||
| RET | Marchés de France | I | Tri-50 | Damaged | ||
| RET | Crédit Agricole | I | Cat-60 | Capsized | ||
| RET | Jet Services | I | Cat-60 | Damaged | ||
| Class 2 | ||||||
| 1 | Region Centre | II | Tri-45 | 16 days 19 hours 16 min | ||
| 2 | COTE BASQUE | II | Tri 45 | 18 days 13 hours 34 min | ||
| 3 | IDENEK | II | Tri 42 | 18 days 13 hours 49 min | ||
| 4 | SEBAGO | II | Mono-45 | 19 days 10 hours 38 min | ||
| 5 | CENET | II | Cat-45 | 21 days 06 hours 02 min | ||
| 6 | BISCUITS LU | II | Mono-44 | 21 days 18 hours 35 min | ||
| 7 | ORION IRU | II | Mono-45 | 22 days 15 hours 53 min | ||
| 8 | BETELGEUZE | II | Mono-42 | 25 days 05 hours 50 min | ||
| 9 | LA BALEINE | II | Mono-44 | 25 days 15 hours 29 min | ||
| 10 | ABACUS | II | Mono-42 | 27 days 11 hours 11 min | ||
| 11 | QUAILO | II | Mono-44 | 29 days 23 hours 10 min | ||
| 12 | DE VOLHARDING | II | Mono-41 | 41 days 20 hours 20 min | ||
| RET | Roger & Gallet | II | Tri-45 | Damaged | ||
| RET | Marsden | II | Tri-45 | Dismasted | ||
| RET | Tyfoon VI | II | Mono-44 | Damaged | ||
| RET | Alliance Kaypro | II | Mono-44 | Dismasted | ||
| Class 3 | ||||||
| 1 | DESTINATION St CROIX | III | Tri 38 | 18 days 12 hours 31 hours 1 min | ||
| 2 | GESPAC | III | Cat 40 | 19 days 07 hours 50 min | ||
| 3 | CITY OF BIRMINGHAM | III | Mono-40 | 19 days 22 hours 35 min | ||
| 4 | PATRICIA OF FINLAND | III | Mono-40 | 21 days 13 hours 04 min | ||
| 5 | NTOMBIFUTI | III | Mono-40 | 22 days 16 hours 13 min | ||
| 6 | ALCATEL | III | Cat-37.5 | 24 days 13 hours 10 min | ||
| 7 | MS PATTY | III | Mono-40 | 24 days 14 hours 53 min | ||
| 8 | ROYAL LEERDAM | III | Mono-40 | 24 days 18 hours 05 min | ||
| 9 | LONE EAGLE | III | Mono-36 | 26 days 06 hours 46 min | ||
| 10 | JEMIMA NICHOLAS | III | Mono-40 | 26 days 18 hours 21 min | ||
| 11 | SHERPA BILL | III | Mono-36 | 27 days 11 hours 50 min | ||
| 12 | OLLE P2 | III | Mono-38.5 | 30 days 04 hours 10 min | ||
| 13 | SUMMER SALT | III | Mono-38 | 30 days 12 hours 43 min | ||
| 14 | LANDS END | III | Mono-39.5 | 31 days 23 hours 10 min | ||
| RET | Dancing Dolphin | Mono-37 | III | Damaged | ||
| RET | Batchelors Sweet Pea | Tri-40 | III | Capsized | ||
| Class 4 | ||||||
| 1 | CITY OF SLIDEL | IV | Mono-35 | 20 days 23 hours 40 min | ||
| 2 | BRITISH AIRWAYS II | IV | Mono-31 | 21 days 05 hours 34 min | ||
| 3 | SURVIVAL TECH GROUP | IV | Mono-35 | 22 days 02 hours 39 min | ||
| 4 | BIG SHOT | IV | Cat-35 | 22 days 18 hours 09 min | ||
| 5 | VINGT SUR VANNES | IV | Mono-35 | 23 days 13 hours 44 min | ||
| 6 | DOUCHE CHAMPION | IV | Mono-35 | 25 days 03 hours 53 min | ||
| 7 | LDS SAILER | IV | Mono-33 | 25 days 09 hours 12 min | ||
| 8 | GAMBLE GOLD | IV | Mono-33 | 29 days 15 hours 55 min | ||
| 9 | SEA-BERYL | IV | Mono-35 | 32 days 10 hours 09 min | ||
| 10 | FREE BIRD | IV | Mono-31.5 | 35 days 04 hours 33 min | ||
| 11 | GLADYS | IV | Mono-34 | 39 days 06 hours 56 min | ||
| 12 | JOHAN LLOYDE | IV | Mono-32 | 41 days 04 hours 30 min | ||
| 13 | MEG OF MUGLINS | IV | Mono-35 | 41 days 16 hours 30 min | ||
| 14 | CRYSTAL CATFISH | IV | Mono-31.5 | 44 days 14 hours 22 min | ||
| RET | La Peligrosa | Mono-31 | IV | Damaged | ||
| RET | Prodigal | Mono-34 | IV | Damaged | ||
| RET | Jeremi V | Mono-35 | IV | Damaged | ||
| RET | Double Brown | Cat-35 | IV | Damaged | ||
| RET | Karpetz | Mono-31.5 | IV | Damaged | ||
| RET | Loiwing | Mono-35 | IV | Aground | ||
| Class 5 | ||||||
| 1 | SWANSEA BAY | V | Mono-27 | 30 days 14 hours 48 min | ||
| 2 | TIMPANI | V | Mono-30 | 30 days 23 hours 58 | ||
| 3 | PHAGAWI | V | Mono-29 | 31 days 07 hours 48 | ||
| 4 | EL TORERO | V | Mono-30 | 31 days 08 hours 25 | ||
| 5 | SHAMROCK | V | Mono-30 | 32 days 15 hours 20 | ||
| 6 | MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC | V | Mono-29.5 | 32 days 20 hours 45 | ||
| 7 | MOUSTACHE | V | Mono-29.5 | 35 days 15 hours 57 | ||
| 8 | NORD | V | Mono-25 | 40 days 16 hours 38 | ||
| RET | Novia | Mono-3 | V | Dismasted | ||
| RET | Race Against Poverty | Mono-30 | V | Damaged | ||
| RET | Refugee | Mono-27 | V | Retired | ||
| RET | Go Kart | M 29 | V | Damaged | ||
| RET | Quest for Charity | C 29 | V | Damaged | ||
| RET | Tjisje | Mono-29.5 | V | Damaged | ||
| RET | Jester | Mono-26 | V | Damaged | ||
| RET | Rizla + | Tri-30 | V | Dismasted | ||
With Carlsberg taking over as main sponsor, the Carlsberg Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race of 1988 saw 95 entrants, with custom-built multihulls again dominating. Favourable weather made ideal conditions for a fast pace, and indeed Philippe Poupon's winning time set a new race record of 10 days, 9 hours and 10 minutes. One of the main hazards of the race was damage by whales; Mike Birch's Fujicolor was damaged by a whale, forcing him to retire from the race; and David Sellings was forced to abandon Hyccup after she was sunk by an aggressive pod of whales. Mike Richey's original Jester, which had taken part in every edition of the race, was lost in heavy weather in the tail-end of the fleet.[4] [6] [24]
The top eleven finishers were all Class 1 multihulls. The top five were:
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat Name | Class | Time | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fleury Michon | Tri-60(I) | 10 days 09 hours 15 min | ||
| 2 | Laiterie Mt St Michel | Tri-60(I) | 11 days 04 hours 17 min | ||
| 3 | Lada Poch II | Tri-60(I) | 11 days 09 hours 02 min | ||
| 4 | Sebago | Tri-60(I) | 11 days 09 hours 55 min | ||
| 5 | VSD | Cat-60 | 12 days 23 hours 20 min | ||
| 6 | Gérard Hénon | Trimaran 60 | 13 days 06 hours 51 min | ||
| 7 | Groupe Pierre 1er | Trimaran 60 | 13 days 10 hours 58 min | ||
| 8 | Elf Aquitaine III | Trimaran 60 | 14 days 10 hours 02 min | ||
| 9 | Spirit of Apricot | Trimaran 60 | 14 days 20 hours 40 min | 32 hours 06 min | |
| 10 | La nuova Sardegna | Trimaran 60 | 15 days 17 hours 34 min | ||
| 11 | Dupon Duran | Trimaran 60 | 16 days 12 hours 39 min | ||
| 12 | MTC | Trimaran 40 | 16 days 17 hours 03 min |
The fastest monohull, UAP 1992, finished 13th. The top five monohulls:
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | Class | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UAP 1992 | Mono-60(I) | 17 days 04 hours 05 min | ||
| 2 | Allied Bank | Mono-60(I) | 17 days 08 hours 18 min | ||
| 3 | Castrol Solo | Mono-60(I) | 17 days 21 hours 47 min | ||
| 4 | Ecureuil d'Aquitaine | Mono-60(I) | 18 days 07 hours 00 min | ||
| 5 | Mariko | Mono-45(III) | 21 days 05 hours 44 min |
The Europe 1 Star of 1992 saw the fleet beset by a full range of hazards — storms, icebergs, trawlers, fog and whales hit boats on the northern route, before they were finally becalmed off Newfoundland. The monohulls managed the heavy conditions and crosswinds quite well, but the multis were plagued with capsizes and damage. Yves Parlier was the top monohull skipper in a new Open 60, setting a monohull record time of 14 days 16 hours.[4] [25]
The top ten finishers included two monohulls:
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat Name | Class | Time | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fujicolor | 11 days 01 hours 35 min | |||
| 2 | Haute-Normandie | 12 days 07 hours 49 min | |||
| 3 | Banque Populaire | 12 days 09 hours 14 min | |||
| 4 | Took Took | 13 days 04 hours 01 min | |||
| 5 | Primagaz | 13 days 07 hours 40 min | |||
| 6 | Cacolac d'Aquitaine | 14 days 16 hours 01 min | |||
| 7 |   Etienne Giroire | Up My Sleeve | 40 ft Tri | 16 days 06 hours 45 min | |
| 8 | Queen Anne's Battery | 16 days 11 hours 30 min | |||
| 9 | C L M | 50 ft Tri | 16 days 12 hours 17 min | ||
| 10 | Dupon Duran | 50 ft Tri | 16 days 20 hours 16 min | ||
| 11 | Cardiff Discovery | 17 days 06 h 17 min | |||
| 12 | Groupe LG | 17 days 07 hours 17 min | |||
| 13 | Dogwatch II | 17 days 15 hours 59 min | |||
| 14 | Enif Morgan Grenfell | 17 days 16 hours 40 min | |||
| 17 | Misco Computer Supplies (Looping) | Open 50 | 18 days 04 hours 16 min | ||
| 19 | Euzkadi Europa 93 | 18 days 07 hours 19 min | |||
| 23 | Moana 60 | 20 days 10 hours 10 min |
Loïck Peyron, on the same trimaran Fujicolor II, for the 1996 edition of the race; and he led at the start, passing the Eddystone lighthouse at 28kn. However, Francis Joyon dominated the race, and 600miles from the finish seemed set to win, at which point he was 24 hours ahead of his nearest rival; but his trimaran Banque Populaire was capsized by a gust off Nova Scotia, leaving the race to Peyron.
Peyron's time of 10 days, 10 hours and 5 minutes, was just 50 minutes short of the course record. Peyron was the first person to win two successive editions of the race, and only the second to win twice. Gerry Roufs won the monohull division, sailing the 600NaN0 Groupe LG2. Italian Giovanni Soldini won the 500NaN0 monohull class, in Telecom Italia.[4] [6] [26]
Only three multihulls overcame the conditions to make the top ten finishers:
| +Overall Results[27] [28] | ||||||
| Pos. | Skipper | Class | Type | Boat Name | Time | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class I | ||||||
| 1 | I | Fujicolor II | 10 days 10 hours 05 min | |||
| 2 | I | Region Haute Normandie | 10 days 13 hours 05 min | |||
| 3 | I | Biscuits la Trinitaine | 14 days 12 hours 55 min | |||
| 4 | I | Groupe LG 2 | 15 days 14 hours 50 min | |||
| 5 | I | Gartmore Investments | 16 days 15 hours 56 min | |||
| 6 | I | Anicaflash | 16 days 19 hours 24 min | |||
| 7 | I | Groupe LG1 | 17 days 00 hours 55 min | |||
| 8 | I | Café Legal le Gout | 17 days 01 hours 11 min | |||
| 9 | I | Whirlpool-Vital-Europe 2 | 17 days 06 hours 43 min | |||
| 10 | I | Elan Sifo | 18 days 18 hours 14 min | |||
| 11 | I | Mono-57 | Tomidi | 19 days 19 hours 45 min | ||
| RET | I | Primagaz | Capsized | |||
| RET | I | Banque Populaire | Capsized | |||
| RET | I | Aquitaine Innovations | Dismasted | |||
| Class II | ||||||
| 1 | II | Telecom Italia | 15 days 18 hours 29 min | |||
| 2 | II | Aqua Quorum | 17 days 08 hours 08 min | |||
| 3 | II | 50 ft Tri | CLM | 17 days 10 hours 10 min | ||
| 4 | II | Mono-50 | Jimroda II | 19 days 22 hours 57 min | ||
| 5 | II | Mono-50 | Wolfie's Toy | 20 days 01 hours 45 min | ||
| 6 | II | Mono-46 | Dix de Lyon | 24 days 03 hours 47 min | ||
| 7 | II | Mono-48 | Oiseau de la Pluie | 30 days 09 hours 22 min | ||
| Class III | ||||||
| 1 | III | Mono-45 | Mountain Sky Magic | 19 days 14 hours 22 min | ||
| 2 | III | Mono-45 | Merit Cup | 20 days 21 hours 35 min | ||
| 3 | III | Mono-44 | Shamwari | 22 days 13 hours 17 min | ||
| 4 | III | Mono-40 | Kiss me Quick | 27 days 08 hours 00 min | ||
| ABN | III | Mono-42 | Galway Blazer | Sank | ||
| RET | III | Mono-45 | Rapscallion | Retired | ||
| Class IV | ||||||
| 1 | IV | 40 ft Tri | Mollymawk | 17 days 09 hours 44 min | ||
| 2 | IV | Mono-40 | New Yorker | 20 days 00 hours 23 min | ||
| 3 | IV | Mono-40 | Roc | 22 days 00 hours 30 min | ||
| 4 | IV | Mono-40 | Protect our Sealife | 25 days 09 hours 33 min | ||
| 5 | IV | Mono-38 | Cyclone | 25 days 19 hours 45 min | ||
| 6 | IV | Mono-40 | Ratso | 30 days 00 hours 52 min | ||
| 7 | IV | Mono-40 | Sea Beryl | 30 days 04 hours 42 min | ||
| 8 | IV | Mono-39 | Independent Freedom | 32 days 02 hours 50 min | ||
| 9 | IV | Mono-36 | Taurus | 38 days 16 hours 31 min | ||
| RET | IV | Mono-40 | Mother Goose | Retired | ||
| RET | IV | Mono-40 | Chivas 3 | Retired | ||
| RET | IV | Mono-40 | Fenris | Damaged | ||
| RET | IV | Mono-40 | Fritzzz | Retired | ||
| Class V | ||||||
| 1 | V | Mono-35 | QII | 19 days 22 hours 57 min | ||
| RET | V | Mono-34 | Raasay of Melfort | Retired | ||
| RET | V | Ol'Goud | Dismasted | |||
| RET | V | Tri-33 | Star Trek | Retired | ||
| RET | V | Mono-31 | Off Course | Retired | ||
| Class VI | ||||||
| 1 | VI | Mono-30 | P M Charles | 20 days 14 hours 58 min | ||
| 2 | VI | Mono-30 | Hot Glue Gun | 21 days 12 hours 07 min | ||
| 3 | VI | Mono-30 | Megaptera | 21 days 23 hours 20 min | ||
| 4 | VI | Mono-30 | Golfo Tigullio | 22 days 01 hours 30 min | ||
| 5 | VI | Cat-26 | Clarks Active Air | 24 days 15 hours 05 min | ||
| 6 | VI | Mono-29.5 | Luneborg | 25 days 10 hours 05 min | ||
| 7 | VI | Mono-28 | Senseï | 27 days 21 hours 59 min | ||
| 8 | VI | Mono-30 | Gizmo | 28 days 11 hours 20 min | ||
| 9 | VI | Mono-30 | Chance | 43 days 13 hours 00 min | ||
| 10 | VI | Mono-25 | Jester | 56 days 10 hours 54 min | ||
| RET | VI | Mono-30 | Città di Salerno | Retired | ||
| RET | VI | Mono-29 | Tramp VI | Retired | ||
| RET | VI | Mono-27 | Andromeda | Retired | ||
With sponsorship from Europe 1 and New Man, a French sportswear manufacturer, the fortieth anniversary edition of the OSTAR was run under the title Europe 1 New Man STAR.[29]
A surprising total of 24 Open 60 monohulls entered the race; most of these were using the event as a qualifying run for the 2000-2001 Vendée Globe starting later in the year. One of these was the youngest racer in the fleet at age 23, Ellen MacArthur in her new Owen-Clarke designed Open 60 Kingfisher; she beat the big names to become the surprise winner of the monohull division, and the youngest ever winner of the race. The overall winner was Francis Joyon, in his trimaran Eure et Loir.[4] [30] [31] [32]
| Pos. | Skipper | Boat | Time | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORMA 60 Multihulls | ||||
| 1 | Eure et Loir | 9 days 23 hours 21 min | ||
| 2 | Biscuits la Trinitaine | 10 days 1 hours 59 min | ||
| 3 | Groupama | 10 days 2 hours 40 min | ||
| 4 | Foncia | 10 days 8 hours 37 min | ||
| 5 | Belgacom | 10 days 19 hours 35 min | ||
| 6 | Bayer en France | 16 days 6 hours 21 min | ||
| 7 | Banque Populaire | retired - lost a hull | ||
| IMOCA 60 Monohulls | ||||
| 1 | Kingfisher | 14 days 23 hours 01 min | ||
| 2 | Sill Beurre le Gall | 15 days 13 hours 38 min | ||
| 3 | Team Group 4 | 15 days 14 hours 50 min | ||
| 4 | Solidaires | 15 days 15 hours 33 min | ||
| 5 | Fila | 16 days 04 hours 10 min | ||
| 6 | Whirlpool | 16 days 10 hours 19 min | ||
| 7 | PRB | 16 days 15 hours 51 min | ||
| 8 | Active Wear | 17 days 15 hours 44 min | ||
| 9 | Union Bancaire Privee | 17 days 17 hours 02 min | ||
| 10 | Nord Pas de Calais | 18 days 02 hours 22 min | ||
| 11 | GEB | 19 days 13 hours 03 hours min | ||
| 12 | DDP 60me Sud | 21 days 07 hours 18 min | ||
| 13 | Adrenalines | 31 days 05 hours 19 min | ||
| DNF | Aquitaine Innovations | retired - dismasted | ||
| DNF | Sodebo Savourons la Vie | retired - dismasted | ||
| DNF | Services Euroka | retired - dismasted | ||
| DNF | Tomidi | retired - autopilot failure | ||
| DNF | This Time | retired - sail damage | ||
| DNF | Hawaiian Express | retired for personal reasons | ||
The 2005 event was the first held for smaller boats, again under the name OSTAR, sponsored by Faraday Mill.
35 boats took part with 16 forced to retire. Franco Manzoli won the race in Cotonella, taking 17 days and 21 hours to finish. The 2005 race featured the first single-handed, trans-atlantic crossing by a profoundly deaf person: Gerry Hughes.[33]
| Skipper | Boat | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trimarans | |||
 Franco Manzoli | Cotonella | 17 days 21 hours 41 min | |
| Roger Langevin | Branec IV | 18 days 06 hours 7 min | |
| Pierre Antoine | Spirit | 18 days 08 hours 43 min | |
 Leon Bart | Houd van Hout | 25 days 16 hours 45 min | |
| Aurelia Ditton | Shockwave | 27 days 09 hours 19 min | |
| Anne Caseneuve | Acanthe Ingénierie | retired - injured knee | |
| Etienne Giroire | Up My Sleeve | retired | |
| Ross Hobson | Mollymawk | retired - broken daggerboard | |
| Monohulls | |||
| Olympian Challenger | 20 days 05 hours 24 min | ||
 Yves Lepine | Atlantix Express | 21 days 04 hours 40 min | |
| Nico Budel | Hayai | 21 days 18 hours 17 min | |
| Philip Rubright | Echo Zulu | 23 days 22 hours 50 min | |
| Lionel Regnier | Trois Mille Sabords | 25 days 23 hours 48 min | |
| Mervyn Wheatley | Tamarind | 26 days 02 hours 48 min | |
| Peter Keig | Zeal | 27 days 11 hours 31 min | |
| Stephen Gratton | Amelie of Dart | 30 days 4 hours 32 min | |
| Richard Hatton | Chimp | 30 days 18 hours 7 min | |
| Huib Swets | Vijaya | 32 days 5 hours 4 min | |
| Gerry Hughes | Quest II | 34 days 4 hours 15 min | |
| Paul Heiney | Ayesha of St Mawes | 35 days 14 hours 19 min | |
| Groot Cees | Reality | 41 days 16 hours 15 min | |
| Tony Waldeck | Adrienne May | retired - broken mainsail luff cars | |
| Michel Jaheny | Chivas III | retired | |
| VM Materiaux | retired | ||
| Bart Boosman | De Franschman | retired - broken shroud | |
| Spirit of Canada | retired - broken autopilot | ||
| Peter Crowther | Suomi Kudu | retired - broken forestay | |
 Michel Kleinjans | Roaring Forty | retired - bulkhead problems | |
| Pieter Ardiaans | Robosail | retired - boom, vang problems | |
| Ronny Nollet | La Promesse | retired - previous back injury | |
| Pierre Chatelin | Destination Calais | retired - problems with boat | |
| Bertus Buys | Sea Beryl | retired - mainsail damage | |
| Bram Van De Loosdrecht | Octavus | retired - dismasted | |
| Jacques Dewez | Blue Shadow | retired - damaged at start | |
The 2009 OSTAR started on 25 May 2009. The skipper's blogs were published on www.blogstar.org.uk
| Skipper | Boat | Elapsed Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JanKees Lampe | LA PROMESSE | 17 days 17 hours 40 min | |
 Rob Craigie | Jbellino | 19 days 00 hours 10 min | |
| Roberto Westerman | Spinning Wheel | 19 days 03 hours 14 min | |
| Hannah White | Pure Solo | 20 days 00 hours 22 min | |
 Barry Hurley | Dinah | 20 days 22 hours 35 min | |
| Luca Zoccoli | In Direzione Ostinata e Contraria | 20 days 22 hours 39 min | |
| Jerry Freeman | QII | 21 days 02 hours 49 min | |
| Oscar Mead | King of Shaves | 21 days 12 hours 24 min | |
| Katie Miller | BluQube | 21 days 18 hours 53 min | |
| Uwe Rottgering | Fanfan! | 21 days 22 hours 42 min | |
| Marco Nannini | British Beagle | 21 days 23 hours 44 min | |
| Huib Swets | Vijaya | 22 days 03 hours 41 min | |
| Dick Koopmans | Jager | 22 days 04 hours 35 min | |
| Bard Boosman | De Franschman | 22 days 21 hours 04 min | |
| Will Sayer | Elmarleen | 23 days 01 hours 30 min | |
| Pip Hildesley | Cazenove Capital | 23 days 14 hours 05 min | |
| Christian Chalandre | Olbia | 24 days 09 hours 06 min | |
| John Falla | Banjaard | 24 days 20 hours 55 min | |
| Michael Collins | Flamingo Lady | 27 days 05 hours 31 min | |
| Andrew Petty | Jemima Nicholas | 28 days 15 hours 57 min | |
| Peter Crowther | Suomi Kudu | 29 days 02 hours 15 min | |
| Peter Bourke | Rubicon | 39 days 07 hours 56 min | |
| Geoff Alcorn | Wind of Lorne II | over time limit | |
| Mervyn Wheatley | Tamarin | retired | |
| Jacques Bouchacourt | Okami | retired | |
| Rob Cumming | Egotripp | retired | |
| Gianfranco Tortolani | Città di Salerno | retired | |
| Paul Brant | Ninjod | retired | |
| Jonathan Snodgrass | Lexia | retired | |
| Anne Caseneuve | Croisières Anne Caseneuve | retired | |
 Reini Gelder | Light For The World | retired |
The 2013 OSTAR started on 27 May 2013.
| Skipper | Boat | Time Elapsed | Time Corrected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multihull Class | ||||
| Roger Langevin | Branec VI | 18 days 05 hours 49 min | 25 days 19 hours 31 min | |
 Joanna Pajkowska | Cabrio 2 | 27 days 23 hours 53 min | 28 days 20 hours 02 min | |
| Gypsy Moth Class | ||||
| Richard Lett | Pathway to Children | 22 days 06 hours 13 min | 22 days 22 hours 47 min | |
| Andrea Mura | Vento Di Sardegna | 17 days 11 hours 12 min | 23 days 09 hours 19 min | |
| Jac Sandberg | Spirit | 22 days 21 hours 10 min | 24 days 06 hours 07 min | |
| Nico Budel | sec. Hayai | 21 days 17 hours 02 min | 27 days 00 hours 10 min | |
| Ralph Villiger | Ntombifuti | 36 days 08 hours 12 min | 37 days 12 hours 59 min | |
| Jester Class | ||||
| Jonathan Green | Jeroboam | 23 days 07 hours 16 min | 22 days 04 hours 25 min | |
| Charles Emmett | British Beagle | 28 days 01 hours 30 min | 26 days 05 hours 03 min | |
| Krystian Szypka | Sunrise | 28 days 13 hours 30 min | 27 days 21 hours 44 min | |
| Mervyn Wheatley | Tamarind | 30 days 04 hours 59 min | 28 days 02 hours 14 min | |
| Pether Crowther | Suomi Kudu | 30 days 14 hours 13 min | 28 days 19 hours 38 min | |
| Eira Class | ||||
| Geoff Alcorn | Wind of Lorne II | 58 days 08 hours 20 min | 50 days 00 hours 05 min | |
The 2017 OSTAR started on 29 May 2017.
| Bam | M 36 GM | 1.037 | 21 days 02 hours 45 min | 21 days 21 hours 30 min | 1 | ||
| Vento di Sardegna | M 50 GM | 1.411 | 17 days 04 hours 06 min | 24 days 05 hours 28 min | 2 | ||
| Mister Lucky | M 36 GM | 1.036 | 24 days 17 hours 20 min | 25 days 14 hours 42 min | 3 | ||
| Olbia | M 34 J | 0.896 | 32 days 14 hours 09 min | 29 days 04 hours 49 min | 4 | ||
| Solent I | M 33 J | 0.904 | 35 days 05 hours 09 min | 31 days 20 hours 01 min | 5 | ||
| Breizh Cola | M 35 | Retired | |||||
| Harmonii | M 49 GM | 1.022 | Retired | ||||
| Illumia 12 | M 31 GM | 1.096 | Abandon | ||||
| One And All | M 36 | Retired | |||||
| Opole | M 37 J | 0.961 | Retired | ||||
| Summerbird | M 40 J | 0.913 | Retired | ||||
| Suomi Kudu | M 38 J | 0.945 | Retired | ||||
| Tamarind | M 42 J | 0.940 | Sank | ||||
| Taylor 325 | M 60 GM | 1.362 | Retired | ||||
| Zest | M 36 J | 0.996 | Retired | ||||
The 60th anniversary of the OSTAR was originally planned to start on 10 May 2020, but was twice postponed due to the global pandemic. The renamed 2022 OSTAR started on 15 May 2022.
| Lifgun | M 50 GM | 1.131 | 21 days 06 hours 0 min | 24 days 0 hours 49 min | 1 | ||
| Escape | M 39 GM | 0.968 | 26 days 04 hours 10 min | 25 days 08 hours 04 min | 2 | ||
| Polynya | M 36 J | 0.896 | 29 days 22 hours 47 min | 26 days 20 hours 01 min | 3 | ||
| Krone One | M 39 GM | 1.059 | Retired | ||||
| Cariberia | M 40 GM | 1.220 | Retired | ||||
| Blue Horizon | M 47 GM | 0.993 | Retired | ||||
| Oddesy | M 35 J | 0.941 | Retired | ||||