"It was like hitting concrete," said the boat's skipper, the Australian offshore sailor Sean Langman.

It is a sound that stirs terror in any offshore sailor, that sudden crack when a mast topples over like a tree struck by lightning.

I relish the competition and the opportunity to compete against the best offshore sailors in the world.

But in the coming Newport-Bermuda Race, a premier regatta for offshore sailors, claims of unfair play have reignited the issue.

Brad Van Liew is a premier offshore sailor specializing in extreme performance events.

In Murray, a boatbuilder and seasoned offshore sailor, she has a game partner with similar aspirations.

Auguin is part of a French contingent of three offshore sailors who have a lock on winning this race.

And so what is it about Auguin, and French offshore sailors in general, that makes them unbeatable?

Roschier is still an active skier and passionate offshore competitive sailor in the H-boat class and with his 45-footer Luna.

Most noted for his sailing, Fischer is described as Australia's most successful offshore sailor.