Dave Ullman (USA) Better late than never... the lobby for the former 470 ace and SoCal sailmaker of choice to several one-design fleets has been growing for a while. Winner of last year’s ‘big’ Melges Worlds in Santa Cruz, winner after a stunning final day at Key West this January, Ullman is, however, being put up as much for the enthusiasm with which he supports one-design sailing as for his own outstanding track record.

Loick Peyron (FRA) 39 Atlantic crossings, five Orma championships and two previous Transat solo wins, always on multihulls, Peyron has achieved so much in his career since first coming to fame with his giant killing performance on his little Lada Poch cat in the brutal 1986 Route du Rhum. Peyron returned to monohulls a bit reluctantly for this Vendee Globe but a win in the Artemis Transat shows this wonderful seaman remains a force to be reckoned with...