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Syndikate Vendee Globe 2008/09 - Artemis Ocean Racing II/Jonny Malbon
www.artemisoceanracing.com - Übersicht
20th June 2007
Press Release
High-res images and footage free for editorial use available on request
Artemis Ocean Racing Starts Building its New Open 60
British skipper Jonny Malbon sets his sights on the Vendée Globe 2008
Artemis Ocean Racing (AOR), the sailing team sponsored by leading UK investment company Artemis, today released information regarding the ongoing construction of their new Open 60. The task of designing and carrying out the new boat build rests with Simon Rogers, owner and founder of Rogers Yacht Design Ltd. Based in Lymington (UK), the design company has extensive experience and success in projects ranging from TP 52's to the GBR Challenge yacht in the 2003 America's Cup.
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Jonny Malbon, the skipper of Artemis Ocean Racing, has been involved since the very beginning of the design process. He will continue to oversee all the construction phases to ensure that the boat is tailored to his specific needs with the ultimate goal to be a top contender in the Vendée Globe 2008. It is hoped that this cutting edge boat will provide the competitive platform and launch pad for the far reaching aspirations of this exciting partnership between Artemis and the team.
The design programme, which began in November 2006, has involved numerous tank tests whereby scaled down versions of the boat are tested in a variety of water conditions to maximise the hydrodynamics, balance and performance of the hull configurations. The final model tested at the Wolfson Unit in Southampton was 20 foot long, representing a scale of one third of the final size. The new Open 60 will be constructed from the same hi-tech combination of carbon nomex and epoxy as most other modern high performance yachts, and will be built by Neville Hutton Boat Builders of Lymington, who have recently completed the new Hugo Boss Open 60.
The new Artemis Ocean Racing yacht will be launched in December of this year, followed by extensive trials in early 2008 to fine tune the rig and all other aspects of the boat, as well as learning how to sail it in such a way as to optimise its performance. It is hoped that the new boat will compete in the Transat Race in May to further improve Malbon's understanding of the boat and develop the necessary experience under pressure to be ready for the Vendée Globe, starting from Les Sables d'Olonne (France) in November 2008. The solo, non-stop round the world race will be a first for both the young British sailor Jonny Malbon and the new boat.
Jonny Malbon, Skipper Artemis Ocean Racing:
"I am more than pleased with the progress of the build so far and have every confidence that Simon's new design will give Artemis and myself a great opportunity to launch a successful campaign for the Vendée Globe in just over a year. I can't wait to get the boat in the water and see what she can do. 2008 holds a lot of promise for Artemis and should put us in a strong position."
Mark Tyndall, CEO Artemis Investment Management:
"Artemis Investment Management is committed to providing the best possible assets for Jonny Malbon and supporting the Artemis Ocean Racing Team over the coming years. We are delighted that Rogers Yacht Design has taken on the challenge of producing a cutting edge yacht capable of winning the Vendée Globe and we look forward to watching Jonny go from strength to strength."
Simon Rogers, Rogers Yacht Design Ltd:
"I am delighted to be able to bring expertise from many other classes into the Open 60 fleet and I feel very confident about producing a highly competitive boat."
Howard Gibbons, Team Manager Artemis Ocean Racing:
"These are exciting times for the team. Thanks to Artemis we now have the chance to race against the best Open 60s in the world in the Vendee. Our preparation must be spot on and we are all relishing the challenges ahead."
For more information on Artemis Ocean Racing please visit www.artemisoceanracing.com
Details on Rogers Yacht Design Ltd can be found at www.rogersyachtdesign.com
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For any further information, interview requests or for high-res images free for editorial use please contact:
Tim Kelly - Pitch PR
T: +44 207 494 1616
M: +44 7772 325 533
E: tim.kelly@pitchpr.com
Notes to Editors
Artemis
One of the UK's leading investment companies, is an owner-managed investment provider known for achieving superior returns through funds which regularly beat their benchmark and peers. Since the first funds were launched in 1998 Artemis has established a reputation for strong investment performance in up as well as down markets. For more information on the company and the funds we offer, visit www.artemisonline.co.uk or contact our Client Services department on 0800 092 2051.
Jonny Malbon
Jonny Malbon, 32, was boat captain for Artemis Ocean Racing in 2006 and stepped up to skipper in early 2007. Throughout 2006 Jonny proved his racing pedigree, skippering Artemis Ocean Racing to break the Round Britain and Ireland race record.
Jonny managed the refit and was boat captain of the race winning Maxi-Cat, Doha 2006, during the non-stop round-the-world race, the Oryx Quest in 2005. Malbon was also boat captain of Ellen MacArthur's Route du Rhum winning Open 60 Kingfisher in 2002, before going on to successfully co-skipper the Open 60 under the Team888 flag.
He has also raced extensively aboard Peter Harrison's superyacht Sojana, and has been part of the highly successful Chernikeef 2 team.
Rogers Yacht Design Ltd
Rogers Yacht Design Ltd was founded in 1990 by Simon Rogers, son of Jeremy Rogers MBE of Contessa fame. Since then, the company has amassed a vast amount of experience and taken on a huge variety of projects including; Class 40's, IRC boats, TP52's, Volvo 70's, the revolutionary Artemis 20 and played a part in the GBR Challenge, the last British entry for the America's Cup. They have also been involved in non grand prix projects such the globally successful Atlas Carbon Davit, a good example of design innovation, a trade mark of the company. The offices are based in Lymington on the South coast, an area known for marine excellence.
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