Transat Jaques Vabre 2007 von Le Havre nach Bahia - Start 3. November 2007 www.jacques-vabre.com - Übersicht 26th October 2007 Pindar Open 60 forced to pull out of the Transat Jacques Vabre race Racing yacht dismasted for the second time Pindar, the Open 60 built and owned by print and electronic media company Pindar , last night dismasted off the coast of Le Havre, France. Skippered by Brian Thompson, the Open 60 racing yacht was en route to Le Havre, prior to the start of the transatlantic race, the Transat Jacques Vabre, in which she was due to compete in eight days time. The mast fell backwards and then to windward onto the boat and the crew, however there were no injuries and the crew are all safe and well. The mast, rigging and sails were cut free from the hull, which suffered minimal damage, to allow the crew to motor safely into Le Havre. The dismasting took place nine miles north west of the entrance to the harbour of Le Havre, at 18.15 BST on Thursday 25th October. The boat was sailing close-hauled on port tack, in 12 knots of wind, sailing at a speed of 11 knots. The mast suffered one clean break, just under halfway up the 30 metre high mast, in a slightly lower position than the first breakage suffered by the boat during the Artemis Challenge at Skandia Cowes Week earlier this year. Despite the structural repairs made to the mast, followed by extensive testing in the Solent and Atlantic including Brian Thompson and Will Oxley's 1000 nautical mile qualifying sail for the TJV race, it appears that a further structural weakness in the mast reindexs. Having lost the mast, sails and rigging overboard by cutting them free last night, the team will now further inspect the hull. Brian, Will and the reindexder of the Team Pindar Open 60 team will reindex in Le Havre, supporting Pindar 40, Pindar's second entry in the TJV race, skippered by Jo Royle and Alexia Barrier. Brian Thompson, skipper of Pindar commented: "The dismasting is a huge set back to our race campaign, forcing us out of the Transat Jacques Vabre race which was due to begin on Saturday 3rd November. My co-skipper for the race, Will Oxley, and crew of Boat Captain Nick Black, Pindar match racing sailor Ian Williams and Team Director Nick Crabtree, amongst others, showed fantastic teamwork in dealing with the dramatic event and it's a huge relief that no one was hurt. We are incredibly disappointed not to be able to compete, especially so close to the start of the race, and as the team has put in so much hard work to get the boat to this point. Whilst we begin looking into our next options for a new mast, and preparing Pindar for our next competition, the Artemis Transat, in May 2008, Team Pindar will dedicate time to supporting Jo and Alexia in their preparations for the TJV, and we will be following and learning as much as we can from watching other Open 60's during the race itself." Andrew Pindar, Chairman of the Pindar Group commented: "The news overnight that the rigging on our new Open 60 Pindar has failed for a second time is very disappointing indeed. It is all the more saddening, that this failure has come so close to the start of the Transat Jaques Vabre race, a race that has always been so important to us, over the eight years that we have been associated with the event, and in which Brian and Will were set to excel. We will work to solve the mast's structural problems that Pindar has experienced as soon as possible, with safety always at the forefront of our minds. It is a great shame for Brian and Will to have to pull out of the TJV race, the only consolation being that such an incident has taken place close to land and a safe harbour, rather than halfway across the Atlantic Ocean." "It is important however to reflect that ocean racing is always a challenge for the teams who compete. That is a challenge to the crews, to the teams and the owners. Those challenges require commitment, courage and determination, from all concerned. Reindexing competitive requires investment of time, energy and finance. Our new boat, Pindar, has been developed to meet those challenges at she will be at the forefront of this sport in the near future. We have great confidence in our boat, which has shown superb speed and winning potential, and with a new mast will continue to compete with the best." Pindar 40, Pindar's second entry in this year's Transat Jacques Vabre race in the Class 40 fleet, is currently making last minute preparations for the prologue race this Saturday. Skippered by Jo Royle and Alexia Barrier, Pindar 40 is the only all female entry in the 33 boat Class 40 fleet. Ian Williams, Pindar's top British match racing sailor, will be onboard Pindar 40 calling tactics during the prologue race this Saturday. Currently top of the World Match Racing Tour, which culminates in December, Ian will return to the UK following the race to concentrate on preparations for the final two Tour events in Brazil and Malaysia. For more information, please see Pindar's sports marketing website: www.pindar.com/teampindar - END - For all press enquiries regarding Pindar, including interview requests and images, please contact: Kate Fairclough - Pitch PR Tel: +44 (0)20 7494 1616 Mob: +44 (0)7789 268814 e-mail : kate@pitchpr.co.uk Notes to editors About the Pindar Group: Pindar is a leading print and electronic media company who employ 2,500 people worldwide. The family-owned company was founded in 1836 in Scarborough, UK, where its head office reindexs today. Pindar has an enviable track record in sports sponsorship and successfully support a number of initiatives that focus on helping individuals realise their sporting potential. Ambassadors include World Number One Match Racer Ian Williams, Emma Sanderson (née Richards) MBE, six times World Marathon Canoeing Champion Anna Hemmings and sailing prodigy, Hannah Mills. For more information, please visit: www.pindar.com Pindar's Ocean Racing History: Sept 1995 Global Challenge 1995-1996, Pindar supported Challenge 67 'Concert' Nov 1999 Transat Jacques Vabre 1999, Emma Richards & Miranda Merron win Class 2 aboard (on Pete Goss's 'Aqua Quorum') June 2000 Europe 1 New Man Star (Plymouth to Rhode Island, USA), Emma Richards wins single handed Class 2 (on Pete Goss' 'Aqua Quorum') August 2000 Round Britain and Ireland Race, Emma Richards & Miranda Merron win 50 foot class (on Pete Goss' 'Aqua Quorum') Sept 2000 Global Challenge 2000-2001, Pindar supported both Challenge 72s 'Spirit of Hong Kong' and winners 'LG Flatron' July 2001 EDS Atlantic Challenge 2001, Helena Darvelid skippers an all female crew aboard Open 60 'AlphaGraphics' Nov 2001 Transat Jacques Vabre 2001, Emma Richards & Miki Von Koskull finish 9th, aboard 60 ft multihull 'Pindar Systems' Sept 2002 Around Alone 2002-2003, Emma Richards becomes first British woman and youngest competitor aboard Open 60 'Pindar' (formerly Josh Hall's 'Gartmore') October 2002 Emma Richards becomes first woman ever to complete a singlehanded west to east crossing in a monohull aboard Open 60 'Pindar' (formerly Josh Hall's 'Gartmore') June 2003 Pindar purchase 18 month old Owen-Clarke design Open 60, formerly 'Hexagon' renamed 'Pindar AlphaGraphics'. The yacht is campaigned over the following three years: Nov 2003 Transat Jacques Vabre 2003, Emma Richards & Mike Sanderson May 2004 'The Transat' 2004, Mike Sanderson finishes 3rd overall Sept 2004 Global Challenge 2004-2005, 'Pindar' Challenge 72 August 2005 Fastnet Race, 5th Open 60 August 2005 Celebrity Pro-Am Round the Island Race, Cowes Week, 1st place April 2006 Guadeloupe - Antigua Race, 1st place April 2006 Rolex Antigua Sailing Week June 2006 Newport - Bermuda Race April 2007 Stanford Antigua Sailing Week - Pindar's Volvo 60 July 2007 Pindar's first ever new build Open 60 is launched in New Zealand Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE