Cape Breton Island confirmed entry in Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

15 April 2009 Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

The image of a magnificent eagle, the emblem of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, will adorn the 68-foot racing yacht which has today been confirmed as an entry in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race.



Cape Breton Island gets set to soar in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race
Artist’s rendition of how the Cape Breton Island yacht will look.

Following the hugely successful stopover there in the 07-08 edition of the race Sydney, Cape Breton, is also confirmed as a stopover on the Clipper 09-10 route and will play host to the fleet in June 2010.

Named Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia’s Masterpiece, the entry will be one of ten identical, stripped down 68-foot racing yachts competing in the event, each sponsored by an international city, region or country. They include Uniquely Singapore, Qingdao and Hull & Humber, all of whom will be making return appearances, the team sponsors having discovered that the Clipper Race provides a unique platform delivering cost-effective global market exposure. Joining them for the first time will be California, whose participation has been endorsed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger following the fleet’s inaugural visit to the state in the last edition of the biennial race. Also making a debut is Cork, the first ever Irish entry in the Clipper Race and the destination for the fleet when they leave Sydney.

The campaign to enter a Cape Breton Island yacht that will showcase Nova Scotia’s masterpiece, the majestic beauty of the region and the warmth of its people to a worldwide audience of more than 200 million people has been backed by Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation and Sydney Ports Corporation. They will use the event as a dynamic platform from which to promote tourism, investment, education, immigration and trade opportunities as well as establishing economic development contacts and opportunities in the countries the race visits.

On board the racing yacht will be a team of normal folk, many of whom who have never sailed before, who are taking up the challenge of a lifetime. Cape Breton native Elisa Jenkins, 30, signed up to take part when she saw the ten-strong fleet in Sydney in June last year and knew it was for her. The physiotherapist is using her experience to raise funds and awareness for the Cape Breton Cancer Center.

Elisa says, “I’m proud to be sailing into global harbours with Cape Breton Island on the hull. Our symbol of the eagle will be a source of strength for crew members as we race across the world’s oceans. The Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race has given me an opportunity to pursue personal challenges and draw attention to a meaningful cause in our community.”

Joining her will be two other Nova Scotians, Alyson Murray from Bridgewater and Achilles Huczel from Halifax, who will represent Cape Breton Island on a global stage. Six other Canadians have also signed up to take on the challenge of a lifetime. Housewives, lorry drivers, farmers, doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers and even a vicar are among the former Clipper crews who have demonstrated to the world their unique, inspirational qualities.

In addition to those people with a thirst for adventure who will race around the world representing the region, there are exciting opportunities for local businesses to be part of the event – benefiting both from the economic impact of the race visit and also using the race to showcase their products and services to the world. Teams in previous Clipper Races have helped galvanise the community spirit in their sponsoring city or region, generating a huge sense of ownership and pride in their achievement.

The Clipper Race was set up by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world, in order to give ordinary people the chance to do something truly extraordinary.

Sir Robin says, “Sydney provided the backdrop for one of the most spectacular starts of the last Clipper Race so I’m thrilled we’re coming back. We had some fantastic close quarter racing in the harbour and down the channel out into the Atlantic and I hope we’ll see that spectacle again – this time with Cape Breton Island among the fleet.

“We already have a Cape Bretoner who has signed up to take part in the race, along with two other Nova Scotians, and I hope everyone in Cape Breton and, indeed, across the province will get behind the team and support them all the way around the world.

“The Clipper Race will provide a unique platform for you to showcase Cape Breton around the world, both for business and tourism. We had a wonderful welcome in Sydney last June so we are very much looking forward to bringing the Clipper fleet back here to experience the warmth of the hospitality we know the whole of Cape Breton is renowned for.”

Berths are still available for Clipper 09-10. More information can be found at www.clipperroundtheworld.com, by emailing oceanracer@clipperroundtheworld.com or by calling +44 (0) 2392 526000. No sailing experience is necessary as all crew must go through a comprehensive pre-race training programme.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race will start on 13 September from the Humber on the UK’s east coast and return there in July 2010 after 35,000 miles of ocean racing. No previous sailing experience is required to take part as full training is provided. The overall race is divided into individual races and points are accumulated according to each individual race position. The yacht with the highest total at the finish wins the race trophy.


High resolution race images are available on request. Images from Clipper 07-08 are available free for editorial use at www.w-w-i.com/clipper_0708_race/

For media information or interviews please contact:

Heather Ewing, Communications Manager (in Canada GMT -3 until Thursday 16 April)

UK Mobile: +44 (0) 7792 408 695
Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000
Email: hewing@clipper-ventures.com

For further information log onto www.clipperroundtheworld.com

Visitors, users and viewers of the content to which this notice is attached may copy it for re-use and syndicate the content by whatever means for use to other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following notice.
www.superyachtnews.blogspot.com 2009
www.ajaxnetphoto.com 2009
This content may NOT be used in any print media made available for commercial resale.
The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks, registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed users.

Superyacht Cup 2012 regatta to be held in Cowes IOW

London, April 2009 -

The organisers of The Superyacht Cup and the Royal Yacht Squadron have announced plans to hold a Superyacht Cup 2012 regatta in Cowes on the Isle of Wight prior to the start of the 2012 London Olympics.

The four-day regatta will take place from 22-25 July 2012 and is open to superyachts over 24m. The Royal Yacht Squadron will be the Organising Authority responsible for providing the race management and course setting for the event. The Superyacht Cup team will manage the overall event including the social programme.

The regatta has been carefully planned to immediately precede the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London on 27 July 2009, and the start of the Olympic sailing races in Weymouth on 28 July. The participating yachts may opt after the event to head up the Thames to London for the Opening Ceremony, or alternatively to the sailing venue in Weymouth, where plans are being considered for Superyacht moorings to be made available to visiting yachts.

“The summer of 2012 in the UK is going to be the focus of many sporting, cultural and business activities, and with the help of the Royal Yacht Squadron we plan to host a very special event for superyachts from all over the world to join in the Olympic excitement. Cowes and the Solent are a world famous sailing venue and the perfect location for such a prestigious event” commented James Pleasance, SYC Marketing Director.

Full details of the racing and social schedule will be announced in due course. In the meantime, owners wishing to register their interest in competing in the 2012 Superyacht Cup are invited to contact the Superyacht Cup office in Palma, Mallorca at +34 971 70 87 95 or by email to info@thesuperyachtcup.com

About the Superyacht Cup
Established in 1996 in Palma, Mallorca, the Superyacht Cup is an annual series of regattas for superyachts over 24m. Each event is held over four days, with racing fleets split into cruising and performance divisions. In 2007, over 55 superyachts participated in the Palma regatta prior to the 2007 America’s Cup in Valenica, the biggest fleet of superyachts ever to compete in a single regatta.

The Superyacht Cup is part of the Informa Yacht Group, the global leader in yachting events and a division of Informa plc, the world’s largest public-owned organiser of exhibitions and conferences. The current IYG portfolio includes such high-end events as the Monaco Yacht Show, the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, The Superyacht Cup Regattas, the Phuket International Boat Show and the World Yacht Racing Forum.

THE SUPERYACHT CUP | www.thesuperyachtcup.com

Visitors, users and viewers of the content to which this notice is attached may copy it for re-use and syndicate the content by whatever means for use to other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following notice.
www.superyachtnews.blogspot.com 2009
www.ajaxnetphoto.com 2009
This content may NOT be used in any print media made available for commercial resale.
The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks, registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed users.

The SYZ & CO hydrofoil catamaran has taken off !

Genève, 3 April 2009

After two years of development and hard work, the SYZ & CO hydrofoil catamaran took off yesterday for its maiden flight in a northerly breeze averaging 13 knots on the slightly choppy waters of Lake Léman and has demonstrated its striking manner the validity of its concept. The next weeks will be devoted to tuning up in order to be ready for the main races of the season. To allow the public to follow project developments, a web site is now available (www.syzfoiler.com).

The SYZ & CO hydrofoil catamaran has flown over Lake Léman
After over two years of development, thousand of working hours and first trials marked by teething technical problems between December and March, the hydrofoil catamaran finally took off yesterday evening in the waters off Société Nautique de Genève.


Copyright photos: Loris Von Siebent hal

This historical outing started yesterday evening a little before 6 pm and the crew, comprising Alex Schneiter, Patrick Firmenich, Arnaud Psarofaghis and Boet Brinkgreve, had a superb navigation in the Geneva harbour. Sailing in a breeze of approximately 13 knots with gusts going up to 16 knots, the hydrofoil catamaran first started with a reef on the main sail and the genoa. As the wind picked up, the crew quickly changed the fore sail and switched to the forestaysail. The SYZ & CO then proceeded windward until Creux-de-Genthod and the bearing away already promised to be spectacular. The crew gained in confidence in the prototype and rushed downwind towards Geneva at a speed of 10 knots. A magical moment, every one holding his breath until finally a hull lifts up out of the water followed a moment later by the second one! The catamaran accelerates to quickly reach 20 knots. The water is a little choppy and the boat dances on the waves. Helmsman Alex Schneiter later tells: « She’s quite light to steer and responds quickly but remains tolerant. In flight, she stays pleasant to steer and easy to trim. When she’s on the water, in Archimedean mode, she’s heavier than a conventional yacht but I think that a lot will depend on the tune up. »

Around 6.15pm, the wind weakens a little and the crew puts the genoa back on and continues with the full main sail. François Psarofaghis, on the chase boat, cannot hide his satisfaction: « It’s a good start, but it’s only the start! You can feel she has a great potential but we’ll need hours and hours of tuning. She’s really a racing monster and for the time being, we’re only using a tiny part of the boat’s potential. We’re really looking forward to sailing with the gennaker on on our next outing! »

Arnaud Gavairon, from North Sails, is also closely following the sailing: « These new 3Di sails also require a lot of tuning. It’s like the boat: we’ve gone very far with the technology and a lot of detailed work will be needed. There is a lot of room for progression. »

The beginning of an adventure
Back ashore, the crew confides: « It really went on very well and we got a very good feeling. Given our obviously limited flight experience, we needed little time to adjust to sailing aloft. We are now very confident in the gear but, as we don’t know the boat very well yet, we’re going step by step. »

Once these initial moments of emotion and the pleasure of discovery have passed, the crew will start a performance development phase and will indentify all the tuning factors. In fact, for this first test, the crew stayed voluntarily cautious and did not try to break any speed records. There’s a lot of tuning up to do, be it on the foils, on the flaps, on the crew position and the tilting of the mast. The first impression is very reassuring and encouraging: « She flies very well and you can drive her hard. We’re very happy because the concept proves to be very sound » adds Arnaud Psarofaghis.

Next sailing and test and tuning phase
An intensive training and testing program has been established. During this crucial phase, Pierre-Yves Jorand, member of the Alinghi team, and Boet Brinkgreve will be the key people. Pierre-Yves, who logically is very interested in this project, will be able to share his America’s Cup experience and the discipline that defines it. Boet, the on-board tactician, has put in place a test and checks program, managed from an on-board computer, and has created a systematic analysis database for all parameters. Moreover, an optical fiber sensor system has been installed in order to analyze the performance and the loads on the foils.

www.syzfoiler.com – all the news immediately
Encouraged by the strong interest received by the prototype both in Switzerland and abroad, the team has set up a website entirely dedicated to the SYZ & CO hydrofoil catamaran. This new site, www.syzfoiler.com, recounts the whole development of the project and features regularly updated photo and video galleries. All team results and news will be available.


For additional information, please contact:

Sandra Mudronja
Ricardo Payro
Sandra Mudronja Consulting & Co
Banque SYZ & CO S.A.

Tel : +41 (0)22 320 95 00

Mobile :+41 (0)79 445 87 92
Tel. : +41 (0) 22 819 98 05
E-mail : sandra.mudronja@smc-co.ch
E-Mail: ricardo.payro@syzbank.ch


Note to editors

About SYZ & CO

Founded in 1996 by Eric Syz, Alfredo Piacentini and Paolo Luban, Geneva-based banking group SYZ & CO has established itself as a respected financial firm thanks to its original concept and years of strong results. SYZ & CO focuses exclusively on asset management, with more than CHF 20 billion under management and 350 staff.

Headquartered in Geneva, the Group also has offices in Zurich, Lugano, Locarno, London, Luxembourg, Vienna, Milan, Rome, Nassau and Hong Kong.

Its activities are based on three complementary cornerstones:

· High-end private banking with Banque SYZ & CO SA

· High-performance investment funds with OYSTER, the Luxembourg SICAV

· High-quality alternative investments with 3A SA (Alternative Asset Advisors), one of Europe’s leading hedge fund management specialists

Visitors, users and viewers of the content to which this notice is attached may copy it for re-use and syndicate the content by whatever means for use to other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following notice.
www.superyachtnews.blogspot.com 2009
www.ajaxnetphoto.com 2009
This content may NOT be used in any print media made available for commercial resale.
The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks, registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed users.