Precedent

On the bow we expect new browser and challenges that we are sure will continue thrilling fans of the sea and sailing.

The PAKEA project first began in 2004. Unai Basurko, inspired by his passion for sailing, insisted on making a dream come true: sailing round the world, single-handed.

However the aim of this dream was and still is deeper than it might seem at first, and had a deeper social importance. Unai wanted, (and he is still fighting for this), to achieve social recognition for the sport of sailing by making people aware of his feats, and to popularise this sport, and re-establish the relationship with the sea and with our culture which is so closely linked to it.

A basic part of the project is also to educate the young and not so young in fundamental

values that are in decline among us, such as: comradeship, respect for the environment,

enjoyment of the sea, living in harmony, family relations, etc…

Unai took part in the building of his boat, Open 60, in a shipyard near Sidney; Once the ship was built, the first item was to give a name. The first name that was suggested was Pakea or Bakea, (Peace in Basque), and that was it. This is how the boat PAKEA became a symbolic standard-bearer of peace all over the world, and peace, here or anywhere in the world, will always be welcome.

Unai Basurko (Portugalete, 4th of January 1973) is the leader of the PAKEA BIZKAIA project. Basurko is a professional sailor and the most outstanding Spanish competitor in ocean yacht racing, and he has gone from being a bright young hope to a major figure in the select group of ocean-going sailors. He participed in the Round-the-world race (Velux-5 Oceans) and finished in third place achieving the greatest success that Spanish ocean yacht racing has ever had. Then, he participates in Vendée Globe, round the world race but without scale.

Unai Basurko began sailing when he was a child and since then he has taken part in more than 500 yacht races and has sailed more than 150,000 nautical miles.

Track record

  • Record in the Bilbar (Bilbao-Barcelona) 2004
  • Took part in the 2003 Figaro single-handed event
  • 2nd in the World IMS Championships 2002
  • Took part in the Round Spain race 1999
  • Winner and record-holder of the two-handed Trans Tasman Race 1998
  • Winner of the Plymouth-San Sebastian 1998
  • Winner of the Commodores’ Cup 1997

On the 60’ « Pakea Bizkaia»

  • 15th in the 2007 Transat Jacques Vabre
  • 3rd in the 2007 Velux Five Oceans
  • Forced to retire from the Vendée Globe 2009