Seb Josse qualifies for the solo Vendee Globe
'BT Open 60’, skipper Seb Josse. ?ThMartinez/Sea&Co/BT Team ellenPLYMOUTH'
ThMartinez ©
Just over two months ago the BT Open 60 was launched on the River Thames to the sounds of the 'Sugababes' and then not long after BT skipper, Seb Josse, was racing in The Artemis Transat - the oldest solo race race history from Plymouth to Boston.
Seb was leading the 2,800 mile race when he was forced to retire following damage at the top of the mast that sent the mainsail crashing to the deck.
A disappointment for Seb but he was extremely happy with the boat's performance, in particular with the Vend?e Globe in mind, as at the time he had been leading the Vend?e Globe pre-race favourites. Seb turned the boat around and headed back to Lorient in France and completed enough solo miles onboard the new BT Open 60 to meet the qualification regulations for the Vend?e Globe. Seb, who automatically qualified following his participation in the 2004 Vend?e Globe, still had to qualify the new BT boat. This has now been officially confirmed by the Vend?e Globe race organisers and BT becomes the 23rd official entry in the race, although the final entry numbers are expected to be close to 30.
'It is great to put the boat qualifier behind us as up until The Artemis Transat this was still something we had to achieve and with racing you never know what could happen. It's a formality but its good to have it under our belts now. We have had the boat back in Lorient making some changes following our first solo exercise together and by the time we leave Lorient for Cowes, we will be close to our Vend?e Globe race trim. After Skandia Cowes Week we will come back to Lorient for the final phase of preparation and testing. The Vend?e Globe will soon be here, I know the next few months will pass very quickly and suddenly we will find ourselves in Les Sables d'Olonne!'
The BT team will be sailing the boat to Cowes at the end of July in time for Skandia Cowes Week and The Artemis Challenge that takes place on 5th August. Teammate Ellen MacArthur will join Seb onboard the BT Open 60 for the 50-mile sprint around the Isle of Wight. BT will line up against the UK IMOCA 60 contenders including Mike Golding (Ecover), Jonny Malbon (Artemis Ocean Racing), and Dee Caffari (Aviva). It is also for a great cause - the winning boat can donate ?10,000 to a charity of their choice. Seb has nominated the Ellen MacArthur Trust and the French charity A chacun son Everest.
News From Lorient: By Charlie Carter
'The boat has been in the shed for nearly three weeks, and the shore team have settled back in the familiar routine of 'refit mode'(...) Our project plan has been adjusted so that in July when the boat goes back in the water, it will be for the last time before the race starts in November (our original plan was to have two 'mini-refits' either side of Cowes week)...'
To read the full story, please click here: www.btteamellen.com/btimoca60/blog
by BT Team Ellen 
redland bay, QLD
