It can be said that the 19 Around Alone sailors can be grouped into 4 categories.  These are:  formula 1 racers, boy races, middle aged adventurers and cause sailors.

Formula 1 racers are fully sponsored and professional in all apsects of their campaign.  The sponsorship is a privelige and much pressure comes with it.   It is from this group that the race winner should come.

Boy racers are skippers of a younger age.  Experience may be their only short coming.

Middle aged adventurers:  This a group of sailors who are beyond youth but not too young to undertake Around Alone. 

Cause Sailors:  In this race 2 of the mariners, Neal Petersen and Sebastian Reidl are really racing for a cause greater than a race win.  In Neal's case it is the education of youth.  Sebastian hopes to help along a campaign to preserve the Amazonian cloud forests in Ecuador