Brad Van Liew is a premier offshore sailor specializing in extreme performance events. He has competed in some of the world's toughest offshore ocean races. He is renowned for his single-handed sailing skills and experience. As a racing veteran he has completed both the 1998/99 Around Alone event (third place Open 50 Class) and 2002/03 (first place Open 50 Class). Van Liew has been recognized by several organizations for his sportsmanship, seamanship, communications and competitiveness.
In 2010 Van Liew returned to the VELUX 5 Oceans Race (previously Around Alone and the BOC Challenge), in the new Eco 60 Class. Brad’s sailing resume includes everything from Newport to Bermuda races at the young age of twelve to Open-60 regattas.
A self-described adrenaline junkie, he is active in offroad motorcycling, horseback riding, hunting, SCUBA, and also boasts a multi-engine commercial pilot license. He was born and raised in Southern California in Los Angeles and Rancho Santa Fe. Van Liew is a graduate of the University of Southern California and a member of the California Yacht Club and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. He resides in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina with his wife and two children.
He studied real estate development at USC but when that turned out not to be enough fun, he founded an airplane charter company. When he and wife Meaghan bought their first boat together, it brought back all his earlier hopes of competing in the BOC Challenge. So they bought a racing boat that became Balance Bar for the 1998/99 Around Alone. In the 2003/04 Around Alone with the support of title sponsor Tommy Hilfiger, Brad won every leg of the race in Class two. After competing in the Around Alone 2003/04 Van Liew retired from competitive sailing.
During his eight-year absence, he was the Executive Director of the South Carolina Maritime Foundation. Under his leadership the Foundation built a new “tall ship” for youth education and sailing history.
After eight years away from competitive solo sailing, Brad purchased a boat in France with a distinguished racing history, Le Pingouin, and completely refitted her to an Eco 60 vessel. It underwent a makeover that included new B&G electronics, Samson ropes, support and equipment from sponsors Ondeck, Gill, Simrad, Harken, West Marine, AlpineAire, and Awlgrip. Brad is using hydrogenerators that allow him to race using little fossil fuels. In fact, the Velux 5 Oceans race is a test bed for this hydrogenerator technology.
American ocean racer Brad Van Liew sailed over the finish line of the VELUX 5 OCEANS on May 27, 2011 and into the record books by winning every leg of the 30,000-mile challenge for the second time in his solo sailing career. He is the only sailor in the 29-year history of the race (aka the BOC Challenge, the Around Alone, and VELUX 5 OCEANS) to have taken clean sweeps in two races (having also won each leg of the 2002/3 edition in class two). Van Liew is the first American to race solo around the world three times. By completing the third circumnavigation Brad surpassed the previous record set by his friend and mentor Mike Plant. Plant took part in the 1986 edition of the race (then known as the BOC Challenge) followed by the inaugural Vendee Globe in 1989. Plant was lost at sea en route to his third round-the-world race in 1992. When asked about the record he set and his mentor Plant, he said, "Until now Mike Plant was the definitive American solo sailor. A good friend of mine who also knew Mike asked me what it feels like to have achieved what he was trying to achieve when he died. Well, it's a big deal to me. "This win won't mean a whole lot to a whole lot of people but it means one hell of a lot to me and a few others. It is something that I have done and can take to the grave that no-one can deny.0 That's why people climb mountains, sail solo round the world or even go to the moon. It's one of those kind of moments."
As the sun set over the French port of La Rochelle, where the 2010/2011 running of the VELUX 5 OCEANS began in October, the lone mast of Brad's Eco 60 Le Pingouin came into view blasting along under full main and foresail. A small fleet of spectator boats was waiting on the finish line as Brad cruised in at 2053 local time (1853UTC). Among the well-wishers were his wife Meaghan and his mother Marcia, as well as French solo sailing legend Catherine Chabaud, the first owner of Le Pingouin--formerly known as Whirlpool, Tiscali and Pro Form. Van Liew renamed the boat Le Pingouin in homage to the name Chabaud registered her as when she was built in 1998. It is the second time the yacht has successfully made it round the world.
Van Liew stamped his dominance on the race leading the fleet into the Atlantic toward Cape Town south Africa on the first leg. He proceeded to win each of the five legs. Despite his experience it was no easy feat. "It's just been a really fantastic event," Brad added. "You've got to live life large and for me this event is who I am. It feels amazing to have won this race, and even better that it's my second one. To sweep it twice is kind of unheard of, so I'm pretty happy! I've met every objective I set myself and then some."
In the final sprint Brad sailed 3,809 miles from his hometown of Charleston in South Carolina to La Rochelle in 12 days, 23 hours and 52 minutes at an average speed of 12.21 knots. Over the entire race Brad sailed 31,924 miles.