12th December 2007
CITY INDEX LEOPARD AIMING FOR DOUBLE RECORD IN ROLEX
SYDNEY HOBART YACHT RACE
Ocean Marine, the British sailing team owned by Mike Slade will race
City Index Leopard, the 100 foot super maxi yacht, in this year's Rolex
Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The yacht, skippered by owner Mike Slade,
previously known as ICAP Leopard, will be crewed by a team of America's
Cup and Volvo Ocean Race sailors who between them have an astounding 115
Sydney Hobart Yacht Races. City Index Leopard will be looking to take
line honours in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, making her the first
boat ever to take line honours in both the Rolex Fastnet Race and the
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in the same year.
The race, which starts in Sydney Harbour at 1300 (local time) on
Wednesday 26th December, will take the 90 boat fleet 628 nautical miles
south down the coast of Australia and up the Derwent River into Hobart,
on the south-eastern coast of the island of Tasmania. The 63rd edition
of the race sees six UK entries. The current record for the fastest
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is held by Australian yacht Wild Oats XI,
which in 2005 completed the course in just 1 day, 18 hours, 40 minutes
and 10 seconds and will be aiming for line honours for a third
consecutive year.
Aboard City Index Leopard for the race is a professional crew of 23,
plus guests. Helmed by owner Mike Slade, City Index Leopard has several
Volvo Ocean Race and America's Cup sailors onboard, with Jules Salter
navigating, Jason Carrington on the bow and Gordon Maguire and Paul
Standbridge as watch captains. Ray Davies, Emirates Team New Zealand's
strategist in the last America's Cup, will be tactician and Noel Drennan
will be trimmer/helmsman, with 22 Sydney Hobart Yacht Races to his name.
Four of the crew will remember competing in the epic 1998 Sydney Hobart
Yacht Race, in which just 44 of the 115 yachts entered made it to
Hobart. This was a race marred by tragedy in which five boats sank and
six people died, in the worst weather ever experienced in the 62 year
history of the race.
Mike Slade commented: "It's wonderful to have City Index Leopard in the
southern hemisphere for this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. One
of the most iconic races in the yacht racing calendar, the Sydney Hobart
is a must-do event and we can't wait to line up against all the other
fantastic big boat entries on Boxing Day. This will be my third Sydney
Hobart Yacht Race having competed in 1994 and 2002, in which we finished
fifth and third respectively. City Index Leopard was built with this
race in mind and we will be striving for the race record this time!"
Formerly known as ICAP Leopard, the 100 foot Farr-designed yacht will be
known as City Index Leopard for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. City
Index, one of the world's leading providers of spread betting, contracts
for difference and FX trading, is part of IPGL Limited, shareholders in
the world's leading derivatives broker ICAP, who are the ongoing title
sponsors of Leopard.
-ends-
Crew List for Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
NAME OF CREW
POSITION
Kevin George
Trimmer
Rory Heron
Mastman
Chris Sherlock
Trimmer/Driver
Hugo Slade
Trimmer
Ray Davies
Watch Captain
Barney Henshaw Depledge
Sewer
Noel Drennan
Trimmer/Driver
Mike Slade
Owner/Driver
Adam Hawkins
Trimmer
David Peter Rolfe
Trimmer/Bow
Mark Antony Thomas
Trimmer/Driver
Zane Richard Gills
Bow
Paul Standbridge
Watch Captain
Josh Clark
Sewer
Ross Monson
Bow
Guy Salter
Bow
Timothy Sellars
Pit/Sewer
Gordon Maguire
Watch Captain
Darren Paul Senogles
Bow
Jason Christopher Carrington
Bow/Trimmer
Jules Salter
Navigator
John Wyborn Seabrook
Trimmer
Hugh John Agnew
Navigator
For all media enquiries and images free for editorial use, please
contact:
Kate Fairclough or Annabel Merrison, Pitch PR
T: +44 207 494 1616
M: +44 (0)7789 268814 or +44 (0)7721 518411
Email: kate@pitchpr.com or annabel@pitchpr.com
For enquiries about sponsorship & hospitality onboard Leopard contact:
Louise Eddom, Ocean Marine
T: +44 (0)2380 220388
M: +44 (0)7909 662233
Email: louise@leopard3.com
ICAP
ICAP is the world's premier voice and electronic interdealer broker and
the source of global market information and commentary for professionals
in the international financial markets. The Group is active in the
wholesale markets in interest rates, credit, energy, foreign exchange
and equity derivatives. ICAP has an average daily transaction volume in
excess of $1.5 trillion, more than 50% of which is electronic. ICAP plc
was added to the FTSE 100 Index on 30 June 2006.
For more information regarding ICAP, please visit: www.icap.com
About City Index
City Index is one of the world's leading providers of spread betting,
contracts for difference, and FX trading. Established in 1983 the
company has over 300 staff across six offices in the UK, USA, China,
Singapore and Australia, plus partnership relationships throughout these
regions and across Europe and the Middle East.
Through its global platform the company offers access to thousands of
instruments on the world's financial markets to retail and small
institutional clients. City Index is part of IPGL Limited, substantial
shareholders in the world's leading derivatives broker, ICAP plc. City
Index is regulated by the FSA, NFA, ASX and MAS.
For more information regarding City Index, please visit:
www.cityindex.co.uk or please contact:
AUS
Monique Haylen - Mint PR
T: +61 (02) 9918 5833
M: +61 (0) 434 444 443
E : monique@mintpr.com.au
UK
Alison Cashmore - City Index Ltd
T: +44 207 107 7275
M: +44 7740 068 580
E: alison.cashmore@cityindex.co.uk
About the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2007
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2007 starts on 26th December. The 628
nautical mile course is often described as the most gruelling long ocean
race in the world, a challenge to everyone who takes part.
From the spectacular start in Sydney Harbour, the fleet sails out into
the Tasman Sea, down the south-east coast of mainland Australia, across
Bass Strait (which divides the mainland from the island State of
Tasmania), then down the east coast of Tasmania. At Tasman Island the
fleet turns right into Storm Bay for the final sail up the Derwent River
to the historic port city of Hobart.
Over the past 62 years, the Rolex Sydney Hobart has become an icon of
Australia's summer sport, ranking in public interest with such national
events as the Melbourne Cup horse race, the Davis Cup tennis and the
cricket tests between Australia and England.
|
