Mare, Winner of the 2012 Atlantic Cup (Photo by George Bekris)
#115 Mare wins The 2012 Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing
Mare dominates a record setting fleet of 15 competitors, including #118 Bodacious Dream (2nd place) and #106 Gryphon Solo 2 (3rd place) to claim the second annual Atlantic Cup Championship and $15,000 in prize money
NEWPORT, R.I. – #115 Mare (GER), skippered by Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier (offshore) and Charles Euvrete (inshore), continued its Atlantic Cup dominance by winning three of the five inshore races, finishing second in the other two heats, en route to claiming The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing over a record setting international fleet of 15 Class40 yachts. Mare was equally impressive during the offshore competition, besting the field during the first offshore leg (Charleston, S.C. to N.Y. Harbor), and coming in second behind overall Atlantic Cup runner-up #118 Bodacious Dream (USA), skippered by Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl. Mare finished with 11 total combined points for the offshore legs and inshore races in Narragansett Bay, Bodacious Dream finished with 27 total points. With the victory Mare claims the champion’s share, $15,000, of the $30,000 overall prize purse, one of the largest in sailing in the United States.
Bodacious Dream took Second Place in the Atlantic Cup (Photo by George Bekris)
Only three points separated the remaining top-five finishers with Gryphon Solo 2 (USA), skippered by Joe Harris and Tristan Mougline (39 points) in third, winning a tiebreaker with Campagne De France (FRA), skippered by Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron, (39), in fourth, and Initiatives (USA), skippered by Emma Creighton and Rob Windsor, (42), finishing fifth.
Mare co-skipper Jörg Riechers: “I’m very happy winning, it was a great event, we thought it would be a close battle between us and Talan Bureau Veritas but as it turned out Bodacious Dream was our stiffest competition and they raced a terrific race.”
Bodacious Dream co-skipper Dave Rearick: “This has been a terrific event, we couldn’t be happier in our first race. We will take some of this prize money and donate back to the Atlantic Cup so we can support this great event and keep racing!”
Gryphon Solo 2 co-skipper Joe Harris: “The fact that we made third, I was thrilled, we were clinging by our fingernails and we managed to pull it out which is fantastic!”
Hugh Piggin, Manuka Sports Event Management Founder and Atlantic Cup Race Director – “The Atlantic Cup congratulates Mare on their well-earned victory over a record-setting international field of 15 Class 40 boats. We are very proud of the top-notch sailing, ecological efforts and sportsmanship exhibited by all of the teams and appreciate the contributions from our sponsors, volunteers and staff in making the event a success on all fronts.”
The 2012 Atlantic Cup, the first carbon-neutral sailing event in the United States, featured an international fleet of 15 boats from the USA, France, Germany and Great Britain, the most Class 40s to ever compete in the United States. The teams set sail from Charleston, S.C. on Friday, May 11 at 6:25 p.m. EDT en route to New York Harbor for the second leg of the competition and a Pro-Am event (May 14 – 19) before departing on May 19 at 11:05 a.m. for the final leg of competition held in Newport, R.I. this weekend (May 26 – 27).
COMBINED FINAL POINT STANDINGS AFTER ALL THREE LEGS OF COMPETITION INSHORE TOTAL POINTS
#115 Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier, Charles Euvrete) 2,1,1,1 11
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 5,5,6,3 27
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline)** 4,3,2,8 39
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) ** 8,9,9,3 39
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton/Rob Windsor) 1,2,4,5 42
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) ** 7,3,2,1 47
#105 Eole Generation – GDF SUEZ – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) ** 6,4,5,4 47
#109 Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse) 3,6,5,6 52
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 10,11,7,4 58
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 9,8,7,9 69
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 13,7,10,12 82
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 11,13,13,11 84
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 14,14,14,14 88
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 12,12,12,13 89
#90 *40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) DNF
*40 Degrees retired during Leg #1 after suffering a broken mast and did not start offshore leg 2 or compete in the inshore series.
** Ties are broken in accordance with RRS A8
For More Images of the Atlantic Cup 2012 Newport Inshore Racing by George Bekris Click HERE
Bodacious Dream #118 Winner Leg 2 Atlantic Cup (Photo by George Bekris)
Mare holds a slim overall Atlantic Cup lead over Bodacious Dream (2nd) and
Campagne De France (3rd) heading into Newport Inshore Series May 26-27, Final Prize Giving
NEWPORT, R.I. –The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing completed its second and final leg of offshore racing with #118 Bodacious Dream, skippered by Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl, crossing the finish line first with an elapsed time of 38:06:34 on Monday, May 21, to complete the 231 nautical mile leg from New York Harbor to Newport, R.I.. The race, featuring an unprecedented international fleet of 14 Class 40s competing in the first carbon neutral sailing event ever held in the United States, saw Bodacious Dream beat out #115 Mare (38:39:41), followed by #101 Campagne De France (38:44:22) and #116 Icarus (39:04:33), with #30 Initiatives (39:36:00) finishing fifth.
The second leg of the Atlantic Cup set sail at 11:05 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 19th from New York Harbor en route to Newport Shipyard with international competitors from the USA, France, Great Britain and Germany. After starting in a light northerly, the teams raced the entire way down the Jersey Shore in short course fleet racing mode. After the turning mark, the boats that were patient and waited for the breeze to shift further east gained on the boats that went north towards Block Island. As a result, those choosing to round Block Island to the east saw that decision pay off. The last five miles to the finish were not without excitement as the tide was against the teams forcing them to tack their way to the finish with Bodacious Dream playing the shift perfectly en route to capturing the victory in the second leg.
Bodacious Dream skipper Dave Rearick: “(Co-skipper) Matt (Scharl) called some great tactics once again. I thought we were making a bee line for France and I kept asking when we were going to tack.”
Bodacious Dream skipper Matt Scharl: “I knew a week ago we were going to go that far out. We wanted to go east until every boat tacked and then go one mile further.”
Asked if they were surprised to be doing this well in their first race with their new boat, Rearick added, “We were hoping to be in the top five, so where we are right now is a real accomplishment. Matt told me a month ago, ‘Dave I’m going to leave you in first before I have to go to my sister’s wedding,’ so he knew.”
Video of the first teams to finish can be found here: http://youtu.be/9BroqGQzKy4, with comprehensive results available here: http://atlanticcup.org/race/results/
RESULTS FROM THE SECOND LEG OF THE 2012 ATLANTIC CUP: TIME POINT FINISH
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 38:06:34 2 1st
#115 Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Charles Euvrete) 38:39:41 4 2nd
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) 38:44:22 6 3rd
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 39:04:33 8 4th
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton, Rob Windsor) 39:36:00 10 5th
#109 Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse 39:44:04 12 6th
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 39:58:16 14 7th
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 39:59:25 16 8th
#105 Eole Generation – GDF SUEZ – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) 40:00:37 18 9th
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 40:08:47 20 10th
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 40:14:20 20 11th
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 20 12th
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 40:46:13 20 13th
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 41:32:19 20 14th
#90 40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) DNS N/A
PROVISIONAL COMBINED POINT STANDINGS AFTER FIRST TWO LEGS OF OFFSHORE COMPETITION
TOTAL POINTS
#115 *Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier) 6
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 8
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) 10
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 22
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 26
#105 Eole Generation – GDF SUEZ – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) 28
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton/Rob Windsor) 30
#109 *Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse) 32
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 32
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 34
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 36
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 36
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 40
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 40
#90 **40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) 52
*Protest pending between Talan-Bureau Veritas and Mare which, in accordance with the Sailing Instructions, will be heard in Newport, R.I. on Tuesday, May 21, 2012.
**40 Degrees retired during Leg #1 after suffering a broken mast and did not start offshore leg 2.
For more images of the NewYork City Start of Leg 2 click HERE
Leg 1 Winner Mare finishes in New York Harbor (Photo by Billy Black/Atlantic Cup)
#115 Class 40 Mare Wins Leg 1, Charleston, South Carolina to New York Leg of 2012 Atlantic Cup
Fleet to dock in NY Harbor until Pro-Am on May 18, followed by
Final Leg to Newport, RI on May 19 and In-shore Series, May 26-27
With an unprecedented international fleet of 15 Class 40s competing in The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing #115 Mare, skippered by Jörg Riechers and Ryan Breymaier, crossed the finish line first at 1:20:13 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 15, with an elapsed time of 78:55:13 to complete the 642 nautical mile first off-shore leg of the Atlantic Cup from Charleston, S.C. to New York Harbor. The race, the first carbon neutral sailing event in the United States, saw Germany’s Mare finish ahead of #101 Campagne de France (79:16:38), followed by two American boats in #Bodacious Dream (79:51:56) and Gryphon Solo 2 (80:48:05), with France’s Eole Generation – GDZ Suez (81:50:45) rounding out the top five.
Second Place Winner Campagne De France (Photo by Billy Black)
The race began at 6:25 p.m. on Friday, May 11th from Charleston Marina with international competitors from the USA, France, Great Britain and Germany competing extremely closely for the three-day, first leg. The teams left Charleston harbor with #116 Icarus jumping out in front of the fleet with the best start. Shortly after the start #90 40 Degrees’ cap shroud failed leading to their dismasting andretirement from the first leg of the race. Boats were mostly in sight of each other until they rounded Cape Hatteras, where the fleet split into two groups. One group opted to go towards the shore where the wind was forecasted to be stronger and the other half opted to sail further east into the gulfstream to take advantage of the three knot push. Forecast winds didn’t eventuate for the group headed for the shore allowing the group in the gulfstream to establish and extend the lead over the inshore path.
Third Place Bodacious Dream (Photo by Billy Black)
“It couldn’t get any better, really. So first place and the second win in the second race for the boat, which is pretty cool and I think we had a really really good race, “said Mare skipper Jörg Riechers.
“We tried to make a plan long before the start and stick to it, and I think that helps when you don’t let other people in on what you’re going to do,” said Mare skipper Ryan Breymaier. “The weather conditions might change a little bit, but as long as you sort of stick with the plan you know is right from the beginning, it’s all going to work out in the long run.”
Mare in New York Harbor (Photo by Billy Black)
PROVISIONAL RESULTS FROM THE FIRST LEG OF THE 2012 ATLANTIC CUP: TIME POINT FINISH
#115 *Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier) 78:55:13 2 1
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) 79:16:38 4 2
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 79:51:56 6 3
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 80:48:05 8 4
#105 Eole Generation – GDF Suez – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) 81:50:45 10 5
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 81:54:56 12 6
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 82:17:53 14 7
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 82:46:10 16 8
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 82:50:28 18 9
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton/Rob Windsor) 82:53:52 20 10
#109 *Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse) 84:19:20 20 11
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 84:30:26 20 12
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 85:03:32 20 13
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 89:38:23 20 14
#90 **40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) DNF 22 15
*Protest pending between Talan-Bureau Veritas and Mare. In accordance with the Sailing Instructions, the protest will be heard in Newport, R.I. following the conclusion of Leg #2.
**40 Degrees retired after suffering a broken mast.
GROUPE PICOTY (Photo courtesy of Atlantic Cup)
With just over 10 days until the start of the second annual 2012 Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing. Teams from France, England, USA and Germany are all slated to be on the start line for what will be the largest fleet of Class 40s ever to race in the United States.
As previously announced, the Atlantic Cup will feature one of the largest prize purses for sailing in the U.S. ($30,000) and will be the first “eco-friendly” competition of its kind, using biodiesel and hydro generators to limit the use of fuel during the competition and eliminating single-use plastic bottles in its hospitality villages.
Manuka Sports Event Management Founder and Atlantic Cup Race Director, Hugh Piggin, commented:
“The growth we are seeing for the 2012 Atlantic Cup is terrific. This year’s race is going to be an extremely tough and challenging competition for everyone involved. For the fans it will provide some of the best short-handed sailing the United States has ever seen. If you will be in Charleston, New York or Newport you will not want to missseeing this many Class 40 boats lining up against each other. And just likelast year we will provide up to the minute tracking and updates from all boats via our website and facebook page, making it easy to follow the Atlantic Cup whenever and wherever you may be.”
Competition Schedule:
· May 11 – Depart Charleston, South Carolina, for double-handed (two people on board) 645 nautical miles from Charleston to New York Harbor, New York around the challenging Cape Hatteras
· May 18 – Compete in a one day Pro-Am race in New York Harbor
· May 19 – Depart New York Harbor with double-handed 260 nautical miles from New York to Newport
· May 26 – Two days inshore fully crewed (six people on board) buoy racing held over the weekend of May 26 in Newport, RI
· May 27 – Event finish – party and prize giving at Newport Shipyard
Teams that have announced their entry into the Atlantic Cup include:
#17 – Transport Cohérence - FRA Benoît Jouandet and Jorge Madden
#109 – TALAN-Bureau Veritas – FRA – Stephane Le Diraison and Jesse Naimark-Rowse
#30 – Initiatives – GBR Emma Creighton and Rob Windsor
#105- EOLE GENERATION – GDF SUEZ - FRA Sebastien Rogues and Jeffrey MacFarlane
#101- Campagne de France – FRA Miranda Merron and Halvard Mabire
#90 – 40 Degrees – GBR Hannah Jenner and Peter Harding
#73 – Toothface – USA Mike Dreese and Ken Luczynski
#85 – Groupe Picoty – FRA Jacques Fournier and Jean Christophe “JC” Caso
#109 – Masai – FRA Stephane Le Diraison
#113 – Partouch – FRA Christophe Coatnoan
#115 – Mare – GER Jorg Riechers and Marc Lepesquex
#54 – Dragon – USA Michael Hennessy and Christopher Museler
#106 – Gryphon Solo 2 – USA Joe Harris and Tristan Mouligne
#116 – Icarus Racing – USA Tim Fetsch and Ben Poucher
#118 – Bodacious Dream – USA Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl
The English entry 40 Degrees will be skippered by the accomplished short-handed sailors Peter Harding and Hannah Jenner. Harding started sailing at the age of 16, but jumped into short-handed racing in 2007 and has since completed 4 trans-Atlantic races and placed in the top ten in 13 Class40 races on 40 Degrees. The only female to skipper the Clipper Around the World Race and a third place finish in the 2011 Transat Jacques Vabre, Hannah Jenner is considered to be one of the top female short-handed skippers in world.
When asked about what she thinks the toughest aspect of the Atlantic Cup will be, Jenner stated: “The Atlantic Cup presents a great variety of challenges for us. The combination of inshore and offshore racing,interesting weather patterns, ocean currents and intense competition will keep us on our toes. The stages of this race allow interaction between teams shore side and of course make for a great social as well as sporting event. We are very much looking forward to the Atlantic Cup.”
Team Groupe Picoty is made up of two skippers who combined have completed 12 trans-atlantic crossings. Jacques Fournier, formally the Class40 president, is teaming up with Jean-Christophe “JC” Caso. Caso is known for being an expert technician and has managed four Vendee Globe projects since1996 and was one of the shore crew for Brad VanLiew’s 1st place finish in the 2010/11 Velux Five Oceans Race.
JC Caso expressed his excitement for racing in the U.S.: “Jacques and I are looking forward to be in Uncle SAM territory, and take part in the ATLANTIC CUP! It’s definitely a pleasure to see some class 40s for a departure in Charleston, the race is gonna be really tactical on the east coast up to Newport via New York. We think all the crews will give their best to win; it will be a nice fight on the water and a nice cultural exchange with all the international crews. (ouahhhh big parties)!!!!!!!!”
French native, Christophe Coatnoan skipper of Partouch has been competitively sailing for over 14 years. In 2007, Coatnoan won the Morgan Cup and this past fall he completed his second Transat Jacques Vabre finishing 8th.This will be his first appearance in the Atlantic Cup.
Christophe Coatnoan had this to say on the appeal of theAtlantic Cup, “The 2012 Atlantic Cup is perfectly integrated into the schedule as it is set between two Transats: Transat Jacques Vabre and Quebec St Malo. This winter, I was able to race the West Indies, and then keep the boat quietly in Charleston. The course is a key asset of the Atlantic Cup as well, because of Charleston to Newport, via NY, all these places have a feel of legend for us Europeans. Finally, this race will give us the opportunity to meet with the U.S. Class40 teams.”
About The 2012 Atlantic Cup
The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing is adedicated professional Class 40 race held annually in the U.S. with a focus on running an environmentally responsible event. The 2012 edition of the Atlantic Cup starts Friday, May 11th in Charleston, South Carolina and will showcase the top Class 40 sailors in the world as they race a 648 nautical mile off-shore leg double-handed from Charleston around the infamous, Cape Hatteras then north to New York City. Once in New York there will be a brief stopover before competitors start the coastal leg of the race. The coastal leg will take competitors along the same course as the 2011 race: 260 nautical miles, south out of New York to a turning mark off the New Jersey coast before heading north to Newport. Once in Newport, competitors will race a two-day, inshore series with a crew of six. The combined overall winner of both stages will be the Atlantic Cup Champion. The prize purse will be $30,000, making it again one of the largest purses for sailing in the United States.
Quick Facts
· Presented by 11th Hour Racing
o 11th Hour Racing’s establishes a dynamic new platform for public education about the responsible use of energy and resources in the context of an exciting recreational and competitive sport. The use of hydro-generators and bio-diesel in the boats competing in the Atlantic Cup is a direct result of 11th Hour’s commitment to the environment.
· Atlantis Weather Gear is the official apparel provider
· The Newport Shipyard is the official Newport home of the Atlantic Cup
· Boomer Esiason Foundation is the Atlantic Cup’s Official Charitable Partner
· Run under Sailors for the Sea ‘Clean Regattas guidelines
o Using canteen water bottles on the boats while racing and set up and maintain water filling stations during the event
o Using environmentally friendly cleaning products on all boats
o Recycling at all sites during the race
o Recycling by all boats when completing the off-shore and in-shore portion of the race
o Using biodegradable plastic throughout the race including at pre and post-race parties and dinners
o Using 100% post-consumer recycled paper for all event packets
o Organizing a green team to maintain a trash-free site at both hospitality events
o Preventing discharge of untreated sewage or black water in harbor areas and on race courses throughout the event
o Asking all race participants to use water only when washing down their boats during the course of the regatta
· Open to Class40 boats
· $30,000 prize purse
· Depart Charleston, South Carolina May 11, 2012
· Race double-handed 645nm from Charleston to New York
· One day of Pro-Am racing held May 18, 2012 in New York Harbor
· Depart New York Harbor May 19, 2012
· Race double-handed 260nm from New York to Newport
· Two days inshore fully crewed buoy racing held over the weekend of May 26 in Newport, RI
· Finish Party and prize giving in Newport at Newport Shipyard on May 27
History of The Atlantic Cup
Having sailed professionally and worked on some of the biggest sporting events in the world, the creators of The Atlantic Cup have watched professional sailing grow in popularity around the world, however interest has not been as strong in the United States. They realized that professional sailing in the United States has remained a secondary sport largely because there is a lack of races that are sponsor driven, have mass media attention, professional competitors and award prizemoney. The organizers of The Atlantic Cup, therefore, came together to fill the void and create a top-level premier sailing race in the United States. The goal is to produce hard fought, intense sailing competitions featuring the top U.S. and international short-handed sailors. The races will be surrounded by entertaining, engaging events that will engage the casual fan’s interest and grow a new generation of sailing fans and enthusiasts.
Pingouin Graphics Being Installed by Cre843
Sole US Entry in Velux 5 Oceans Race Looks to Boat’s Origins and Professional Design Team for Name, Branding
It’s not a comfortable position, but Brad Van Liew has been here before.
Just a few short months away from the start of a world-class sailing race that sends skippers around the globe alone, Van Liew is mentally and physically prepared to win. He has a stellar racing machine, fine-tuned by the best in the business. His boat’s electronics package, cameras and communication gear, and renewable energy systems are in place. His shore support team and family are primed for this – one of the most exciting adventures possible. Tens of thousands of fans are ready to follow Brad’s adventure online. Yet despite all this, Van Liew is still missing one major piece of the puzzle: A corporate partner to name the boat and brand some 8,000 square feet of space onboard.
“I’ve done this race twice before, and I’ve always had faith that ‘if you build it, they will come,’” Van Liew said. “It’s financially risky and requires some serious intestinal fortitude, but a project like this doesn’t fit into the standard mold for sports sponsorship in the USA, and it always seems we need to put the ‘canvas’ in front of sponsors for them to understand and appreciate the potential.”
Van Liew’s ‘ECO 60′ is one of the fastest of its kind, a high-tech, carbon fiber thoroughbred racing yacht, designed from the ground up for singlehanded, transoceanic racing. He has christened the boat “Le Pingouin” – a name that harkens back to the boat’s original days, when French solo racer Catherine Chabaud named it after the birds that she would see as she passed remote rocky islets like the Kerguelens in the desolate Southern Ocean. The yacht has been registered with that name ever since, even when companies like Whirlpool, Tiscali, and Pro-Forms had their names emblazoned on the deck and hull from stem to stern. Today, a different kind of logo covers the boat’s hull – a fierce, determined penguin set against NASCAR yellow – that signals Brad’s intent to dominate this race as he did in 2002-3 with Tommy Hilfiger. Charleston creative design firm Cre843 developed the original artwork to showcase the vast potential for corporate visuals on the hull, deck and sails.
“Our friends at Cre843 did a gorgeous job with the graphics, and like me, the penguin thrives in cold water and does whatever it needs to survive in any weather,” said Van Liew. “But despite the integrated look, we’ve designed the logo job to be easily removable, leaving a blank canvas for prospective title sponsors to wrap the boat with graphics and logos that best represent their company.” A big racing boat like this is one of the most innovative and effective mobile billboards there are, and the value comes from the personalization of the sponsor’s brand in the non-stop drama and media exposure over the 9 months of the race, through locations on 5 continents in premium markets around the world.
When asked if he is nervous with the race start looming, Van Liew nodded with a slight grin. “Balance Bar came aboard just weeks before our start in ’98, while Tommy joined us just a few months before the 2002 race, so we’re unfortunately used to the uncertainty,” he said. Both partnerships were extremely successful, generating millions in media value and seeing Van Liew on the covers of major national magazines and newspapers, and interviewed via satellite on national TV networks. Van Liew placed 3rd in class as a rookie in the ’98 event, and dominated his class in the ’02-3 race, setting records for every leg. He’s confident that 2010 will once again provide a turn-key opportunity for a company that’s ready to think ‘outside the box’ of traditional marketing.
What if Van Liew doesn’t secure a title sponsor before the October start? “I’ll just rely on my amazing team, stalwart supporters, the great sponsors we’ve already partnered with, and the thousands of volunteers and donors that have brought me this far, and we’ll go win another one.”
When Van Liew finishes the Velux 5 Oceans 2010-11 race, he will become the first American in history to officially finish three solo round-the-world races. Companies supporting Van Liew’s campaign include B&G, Simrad, Gill, Samson, Awlgrip, Harken, High and Dry Boatworks, West Marine, Alpine Aire, Detyens, CMMC Machine, Charleston Rigging, Pierside Boatworks, Seabreeze Marina and many others.
The Velux 5 Oceans starts from La Rochelle in France on October 17, 2010 and features five ocean sprints. After heading from La Rochelle, France to Cape Town, South Africa, the race heads across the vast Southern Indian Ocean to Wellington, New Zealand. From there, the racing yachts will head to Salvador, Brazil, then up the Atlantic to Charleston, USA before returning across the ocean to France to the finish.
Brad's son Wyatt Van Liew checking on the progress.
