Oceanracing 2003 - Defi Atlantique Solo - Qualifier Race for Vendee Globe 2004

Defi Atlantique Solo -Qualifier Race for Vendee Globe 2004
zur Übersicht - www.alexthomsonracing.com

Alex Thomson Racing: Alex Thomson to line up in 4,100m solo race to qualify for the Vendée Globe 2004
Absender: "Mary Ambler"
Datum: 28. Nov 2003 12:28
ALEX THOMSON RACING – TRANSAT JACQUES VABRE 2003 – 2ND PLACE AND 1ST BRITISH SKIPPER

ALEX THOMSON LINES UP IN 4,100M SOLO RACE TO QUALIFY FOR THE VENDÉE GLOBE 2004

Open 60 ‘AT Racing’ amongst fleet of 9 monohulls to start the Défi Atlantique solo race on 30th November, 2003 from Salvador, Brazil to La Rochelle, France.
* Photograph of Alex Thomson sailing ‘AT Racing’ in Brazil – credit Yvan Zedda.

Salvador, 28th November 2003. Gosport based 29 year old Alex Thomson will take the start of the 4,100 mile single-handed ‘Défi Atlantique’ qualifier race for the Vendée Globe 2004 at 1500hrs GMT (1200hrs local time) on Sunday 30th November 2003 from Salvador, Brazil to La Rochelle, France. Alex will race his newly acquired Open 60, previously skippered by World Champion Roland Jourdain, under the name of ‘AT Racing’, whilst the search for a title sponsor for Alex Thomson Racing continues.

The Défi Atlantique is a new event in the IMOCA calendar, and will be run under the same rules as the Vendée Globe: for Open 60 monohulls only, non-stop, with no routing, no outside assistance, and of course single-handed. This first East to West and longest solo transatlantic race provides skippers with only one of two opportunities to qualify for the Vendée Globe, and the only one which allows them ample time to thoroughly prepare their boats for the November 7th start of the RTW yachting ‘Everest’.

Alex will be not only aiming to complete his qualification on his newly acquired Open 60, but also pitting himself for 20 days against 8 of his index rivals in next year’s Vendée Globe, including Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac) and Mike Golding (Ecover), with whom he shared the podium of the recent Transat Jacques Vabre. His phenomenal 2nd place finish just 10 days ago as the first British skipper in this double-handed event with Roland Jourdain in the monohull class has enabled Alex to learn an incredible amount under real racing conditions, which has put him in a fighting position for his first solo race on an Open 60.

The challenging prospect of 4,100 miles of predominantly upwind or close reaching conditions, with obstacles such as the Doldrums, Azores High, South and North East Trades, North Atlantic storms and choppy cross seas of the Bay of Biscay, is something Alex is now looking forward to: “To finish this race means that I get one step nearer to the ultimate goal of competing in the Vendée Globe – that is the first priority. Getting 4,000 miles of experience under my belt on board ‘AT Racing’ and covering exactly the same route and conditions as the final part of the Vendée itself is the second most important thing. Lastly, I am going to be competitive, of course, and the Défi Atlantique will give me a strong indication of where I lie amongst this field of future Vendée Globe competitors.”

Rendez-vous in la Rochelle around the 18 – 20th December for the race arrivals…
ATR.COM WEBSITE
You can follow Alex Thomson’s progress on the path to the Vendée Globe on the campaign website at www.alexthomsonracing.com, where Alex’s personal updates & images taken on board from the Transat Jacques Vabre & Défi Atlantique, plus information about the project and skipper, are posted online. If you wish to make enquiries, sign up to receive updates or send Alex a message of support at any time please register your email through the Quick Enquiries section online or at info@at-racing.com.

The official race website is in French and English at: www.defi-atlantique.org
ENDS
For interviews, high resolution photography, and media enquiries: Mary Ambler - Email: mary@alexthomsonracing.com - Mobile: +44 (0) 7887 643 583
AT Racing Ltd
Address: Unit 11, Haslar Marina, Haslar Road, Gosport PO12 1NU
Tel: +44 (0)23 9252 4343 - Fax: +44 (0)23 9252 4646
Website: www.alexthomsonracing.com
Sponsorship enquiries: sponsorship@at-racing.com
General enquiries: info@at-racing.com
Notes to Editors
Alex Thomson, 29 year old professional sailor from Gosport in England, is the youngest skipper ever to win a round the world yacht race after he came 1st in the Clipper ’98 race. Alex Thomson founded in 2000 and headed up the sailing side of yacht charter company, Formula 1 Sailing Ltd for 3 years. His short-handed career includes racing as co-skipper to Josh Hall on ‘Gartmore’ in the 1999 Transat Jacques Vabre. He also came 1st in the 2000 Criterion Round Britain & Ireland race, and 3rd in class in the 2000 Europe 1 New Man STAR on the Open 50 ‘Sail That Dream.com’. He now holds a 2nd place finish in the 2003 Transat Jacques Vabre.

Keith Mills is the CEO of the London 2012 bid for the Olympic Games and Chairman and Chief Executive of Air Miles International Group BV (AMIG) which is the holding company he established in 1988 to develop the AIR MILES programme. He is also Chairman of Loyalty Management International and Loyalty Management UK Ltd, the company which recently launched the Nectar programme. Prior to founding the AIR MILES business, Mr Mills had over 20 years experience in marketing and advertising. He is also a keen sailor, and was part of the crew on board the winning boat in the Clipper ’98 RTW yacht race.

AT Racing Ltd is the new company set up by Keith Mills and Alex Thomson to manage all aspects of the Open 60 boat campaign, including shore team, marketing and communications support.

Open 60 ‘Sill Entreprises’ - Under the previous skipper, Roland Jourdain, the Lombard design Open 60 ‘Sill Entreprises’ has been on the podium many times since being launched in 1999 and broke the solo 24hr record by covering 436 miles at an average speed of 18.16 knots within days of arriving 3rd on the podium of the Vendée Globe. With trademark giant deck spreaders and rotating mast, ‘Sill Entreprises’ has been constantly optimised from build, particularly for upwind performance, which is second to none in the current fleet.

The 2004 Vendée Globe
Out of all the current five RTW yacht races, only two are single-handed, and the Vendée Globe is the only non-stop event. Held every 4 years from the port of Les Sables d’Olonne in the Vendée region on the western coast of France, this 26,000 mile solo marathon around the globe is renown as the ‘Everest’ of the sport of sailing. The Vendée Globe was created by legendary French solo skipper Philippe Jeantot after he had won the first two editions of the solo RTW BOC Challenge race, which was competed in 4 legs. First run in 1989 with just thirteen competitors on the start line, the Vendée Globe has now become a high profile international sporting event thanks to the incredible exploits of competitors from outside France such as Pete Goss, Tony Bullimore, and more recently Ellen MacArthur. In 2000/1, the race attracted 24 professional teams with their sponsors, plus a major following from media all around the world. The fifth Vendée Globe starts on 7th November 2004.