Doha 2005 wins the Oryx Quest 2005

Picking up the biggest prize in yachting history

Brian Thompson (GBR) and the 12-person crew of Doha 2006 finished the 23,200 miles race around the world in mid-morning to take the Oryx Cup. The white 110ft catamaran made a graceful sight as she crossed the finish line on starboard tack in the 5-8 knot breeze from astern.

Thomson was behind the wheel and a large headsail, made of Cuben-fibre, complemented the full mainsail as the maxi-cat sliced through the opalescent turquoise flat water at ten knots. Thomson called for several gybes in the last three miles to make best use of the light winds.

Doha 2006 finished at 1101.22 local time (0801.22 UTC), having taken 62days 21hours 1minute and 22 seconds to circle the globe. 'There have only been two races for this type of boat,' said Thomson, 'and this boat has won both of them.' *

He was clearly delighted with the performance of the boat and crew, despite a facial injury sustained two days ago when a turning block in the backstay system exploded as he was winching the backstay home. 'Yes, it's sore and unsightly,' he admitted, 'but I am delighted at the way the boat has reacted, and that the damage toll has been so slight.'

Doha 2006 has also won the first prize of US$1 million and of this Thompson said, 'half will go to the owner of the boat, but the rest will be divided equally among all 13 of us. Everyone worked as hard as anyone else to win this race and I believe we should all share this bonus equally.'

On the way north in the Indian Ocean, Doha 2006 had to avoid the tropical cyclone, Hennie, and added more than 1,000 miles to the distance sailed. A considerable proportion of the race has been to windward and Doha 2006 has sailed 25,602 miles to complete the course.

Navigator Will Oxley (AUS) had made the race sound more like a walk in the park with his matter-of-fact attitude, but admitted that there had been two tough occasions. 'One was in the Indian Ocean, dodging Hennie, and the other was up the Argentine coast.'

The course took the boats north from Cape Horn to round an island offshore on the north side of the River Plate Estuary and Doha 2006 had felt the full effect of the Pamperos, the sharp blustery winds that strike from the west without warning. 'They came at us, often at more than 50 knots,' said Oxley.

One of the two women in the crew, Sharon Ferris (NZL) declared that the worst for her had been in the Southern Ocean. 'It was the cold,' she said, 'I would wake up to go on watch and find that I had no feeling in my feet. I couldn't stand still for more than ten minutes or I would lose circulation.'

Ferris is in no doubt that she wants to go round again. 'After the next Olympics (she sailed an Yngling keelboat in Athens and proposes to aim for Beijing), I want to go round alone, maybe in the Vendee Globe (in a 60 foot monohull) or possibly in a slightly bigger trimaran.' Dame Ellen MacArthur's record is in her sights.

The race was the brainchild of Tracy Edwards, who was highly commended for her persistence in making it work, by Sheikh Hassan, the President of Qatar Marine Sports Federation. 'Sailing is one of the sports of the Asian Games here in Doha next year,' he said, 'and this race is the best thing that has happened to Qatar.' He continued, 'To organise such a race brings the world's media to Qatar; maybe it will become the next tourist region in the Middle East.'

Abdullah Al Mulla, the Director of International Relations and Protocol of Doha Asian Games Olympic Committee (DAGOC), endorsed the Sheikh's words of praise for Ms. Edwards, saying, 'This has helped our cause.'

The smiles on the faces of the crews told their own story, but for one man this was a special milestone. Jacques Vincent (FRA) had just completed his eighth sailing race around the world; a record that no one else has achieved. He says that he will continue.