20th June 2009
ICAP Leopard Takes Monohull Line Honours
In The JP Morgan Asset Management Round The Island Race
British supermaxi, ICAP Leopard, owned by Helical Bar PLC Chief
Executive Mike Slade, has today taken monohull line honours in the JP
Morgan Asset Management Round The Island Race. Finishing the race in an
elapsed time of 8 hours and 3 seconds, conditions did not allow ICAP
Leopard to challenge the course record that she set in last year's race
of 3 hours, 53 minutes and 5 seconds.
ICAP Leopard's afterguard called a great race in the testing conditions,
using every shift to gain an advantage over the other competitors. The
race started in 6-8 knots of wind from the northwest and rose to 10-12
knots, giving the yacht good pace out of The Needles. The breeze then
died completely off St Catherine's Point with the fleet compressing into
the foul tide off Sandown Bay.
"There were nervous moments as we dropped to fifth place, only
recovering our lead off Gilkicker Point, halfway into The Solent," said
Boat Captain Chris Sherlock shortly after the finish. "Although this
wasn't the fastest race in history the crew worked really hard to get
every last bit of power out of the boat and we are thrilled to have got
line honours."
Owner, Mike Slade, commented: "Another year in the Round The Island Race
and another cracking race. Obviously we would have preferred more
breeze, to give us a chance of breaking our record from last year; but
we had a great time and that's what counts. Every year it staggers me
how many people get up at 4am on a Saturday morning in June to take part
in this race; what a truly awesome spectacle!"
ICAP Leopard, will now spend the next couple of months chartering in the
Solent before taking on her next big challenge, the 2009 Rolex Fastnet
Race, which starts from Cowes on 9th August. Following the Fastnet, ICAP
Leopard will travel Down Under to compete in the Rolex Sydney Hobart
Race starting on 26th December. This will be Mike Slade's fourth attempt
at the Sydney Hobart Race and after finishing a close second in 2007, he
will be aiming to go one better this time and be the first ever British
boat to secure a line honours win. If all goes to plan ICAP Leopard
could lay claim to a historic double in the same year.
- ENDS -
For all media enquiries and images free for editorial use, please
contact:
Alex Mills, Pitch
T: +44 207 494 1616
M: +44 (0)7825 363646
Email: alex.mills@pitch.co.uk
Crew List
BOW 1
ZANE GILLS
BOW 2
LOUIS NICHOLSON
BOW 3
DYLAN CLARK
BOW / TRIM CO -ORDINATOR
JASON CARRINGTON
MAST
MATHEW RICHARDSON
MAST
PAUL QUINN
MAST
DAN HOWE
MAST
RORY HERON
PIT
JOHN BREMNER
PIT
KELVIN RAWLINGS
PIT
TIM SELLARS
TRIMMER
JEZ ELLIOT
TRIMMER
RICHARD FAULKNER
TRIMMER
BOB WYLIE
TRIMMER
TIMOTHY BURNELL
indexSHEET
MARK THOMAS
HELM / TACTICS
MAX SLADE
HELM / TACTICS
MIKE SLADE
RUNNER
JEREMY ROBINSON
RUNNER
CHRIS SHERLOCK
NAV
HUGH AGNEW
CREW CORD
PAUL STANDBRIDGE
PRESS
LOUAY HABIB
ICAP Leopard
ICAP Leopard follows in the footsteps of super-maxi yachts Ocean Leopard
(1988-1999) and Leopard of London (2000-2006). Like her predecessors she
is aimed towards top-level race sponsorship, day charters in the Solent
and, longer term, charters in the warmer waters of the Mediterranean and
the Caribbean.
Farr Yacht Design provided ICAP Leopard's basic naval architecture and
construction engineering, whilst styling and interior was designed by
Ken Freivokh. The boat was built by McConaghy Boats in Sydney,
Australia, with Chris Sherlock acting as owner's representative.
For more information regarding Leopard, please visit: www.leopard3.com
|
