Race organisers are pleased to announce that today, Brad Van Liew confirmed his entry in the VELUX 5 OCEANS 2010-11 race. Van Liew's new ocean racing campaign targets the popular and exciting Eco 60 Class, and constitutes the first United States entry in the race. The move represents a return to the race he famously won in 2003 as the skipper of the Class II Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America.

"This race has had a massive impact on my life over the past decade," said the 41-year old ocean racer. "During the 1998-99 Around Alone, the predecessor to the VELUX, my family and I fell in love with Charleston, the start/finish port of the race. We subsequently made it our new home." Van Liew explained that with his resounding victory in 2003, "I felt like I'd achieved my goals in ocean racing, and could spend my time developing the South Carolina Maritime Foundation, a truly worthy organization. But when VELUX 5 OCEANS organizers decided to return to Charleston for the 2010-11 race, it ignited a spark in me that I didn't really expect, and Meaghan and I have decided to focus on building a campaign to compete in this edition of this epic race."

Van Liew's nascent campaign is currently named "Lazarus" and the American sailor has targeted the Eco 60 Class from the outset. "The new class provides a low-cost platform with true 'green' credentials that appeal to me personally and will also appeal to potential US sponsors," Van Liew said. "I've quietly built a team around me over the past few months to secure the necessary funding and a boat to race competitively and safely, and while there's a huge amount of work to do over the next twelve months, I'm confident that we can cross the starting line in La Rochelle to complete this amazing journey."

Van Liew made his name first as the skipper of Balance Bar in the 1998 edition of the race, sending in gripping daily reports of a horrific Southern Ocean storm that were read by millions. He returned in the 2002-03 race as the skipper of the colourful and patriotic Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America, winning Class II convincingly while continuing a legacy of communication with the public as he won every leg of the race. Race followers of the Around Alone became addicted to Brad's reports from the far corners of the earth, and he developed significant media interest in the United States as a result of his unique and engaging writing style. Van Liew remains one of a small handful of racing sailors to be featured in stories in the New York Times, Washington Post, and LA Times as well as NBC's Nightly News. One of the most popular skippers on the ocean racing circuit, he will undoubtedly have the full support of the Charleston community as he takes on the planet's oceans in The Ultimate Solo Challenge.

"Brad Van Liew is a true legend of the VELUX 5 OCEANS race and the solo ocean racing community," concluded VELUX 5 OCEANS Race Director David Adams. "His return is a great boost for this race, and we're grateful for the opportunity to welcome a skipper of his raw talent to the race, and also one who communicates his life at sea so well to a global audience." Adams added that it will be "fantastic for Charleston to have a hometown hero to get behind. The stopover in South Carolina in spring 2011 will undoubtedly be a fantastic celebration. We have now announced three skippers - Derek Hatfield, Christophe Bullens and Brad Van Liew - and so far we have ten skippers entered in the race."