TEAMORIGIN Update, June 2009

Supplied image.

- TEAMORIGIN BACK ON THE WATER IN WORLD MATCH TOUR SERIES AND TAKE EVENT VICTORY!
- TEAMORIGIN EXTREME 40 TO COMPETE IN JPMORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT ROUND THE ISLAND RACE
- TEAMORIGIN AND ONBOARD – TOGETHER GETTING MORE YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE WATER
- AMERICA ’S CUP AND TEAMORIGIN LATEST UPDATE

by Leslie Ryan

TEAMORIGIN back on the water and takes event win in Germany!


Image copyright Richard Walch/World Match Racing Tour.

Ben Ainslie and the TEAMORIGIN team comprising of Iain Percy, Christian Kamp, Mike Mottl and Matt Cornwall hit the water again on Thursday 27 th June competing in ‘Match Race Germany’ – the 2 nd event of the 2009 World Match Race Tour Series.

The event was raced in Bavaria 35s at Lake Langenargen where 12 teams did battle for the German title, this second event in the World Match Race Tour.

Competitors included last year’s winner Damien Iehr (FRA); reigning World Champion Ian Williams (GBR); No 1 ranked ISAF sailors Seb Col (FRA); current tour leader Adam Minoprio (NZL) and four times World Champion Peter Gilmour (AUS).

Ben and the guys started out with a tough day in the initial round robin with a single victory and 4 race losses but steadily improved as the event progressed. A great battle took place in the Quarter Finals between TEAMORIGIN and Ian Williams Pindar team which saw a dramatic wipe-out and our tactician, Iain Percy, taking a quick dip over the side!

TEAMORIGIN took victory in the Finals with a 3:1 win in a best of 5 race series over last year’s winner, Damien Iehl. Ben commented on the team’s victory: “The team did a fantastic job in difficult conditions and Iain called the wind beautifully. We’re now looking forward to another big regatta in Korea next week.”

The next event for the team starts in Korea from 2nd to 7th June 2009.

OVERALL RESULTS
1st Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin
2nd Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team
3rd Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing
4th Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team
5th Ian Williams (GBR) Bahrain Team Pindar
6th Francesco Bruni (ITA) Joe Fly Match Race
7th Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing
8th Sebastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team/K-Challenge
9th Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Team Onboard
10th Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing
11th Eric Monnin (SUI) Team Search.ch
12th Carsten Kemmling (GER)


Image copyright Richard Walch/World Match Racing Tour.

TEAMORIGIN Extreme 40 to take on JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race Challenge


Supplied image.

Coming up on 20 th June 2009 is one of the World’s largest and most famous yachting races, the 2009 JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. A yearly event raced around a 50 mile course around the Isle of Wight, it attracts around 1700 boats and 18,000 competitors ranging from super maxis to small day boats.

For the 2 nd year running the TEAMORIGIN Extreme 40 will take on the challenge this time skippered by Ben Ainslie with Team Director Mike Sanderson as tactician, George Skuodas in pit and Matt Cornwell in bow position.

Ben will also be representing JP Morgan Asset Management as the title sponsor of this race and also his personal sponsor for his Olympic campaign and they will be accompanied by a media and sponsor guest for the race journey.

So what are the records for this amazing race? The fastest multihull record for the race is held at just over 3 hours, 10 minutes and 11 seconds since 2001 by Francis Joyon. Super maxi ‘Leopard 3’ took the fastest monohull time in 2008 at 3 hours 53 minutes and 5 seconds.

In 2008, the TEAMORIGIN Extreme 40 took line honours for the race winning the Colombia Cup with a time of 3 hours, 23 minutes and 50 seconds.


Supplied image.


TEAMORIGIN and OnBoard: Together getting more young people on the water


Supplied image.

TEAMORIGIN continues its support as Main Partner to the RYA’s OnBoard programme.

Started in 2004, the OnBoard programme is giving over half a million young people in Britain the opportunity to try sailing and windsurfing over the next ten years. TEAMORIGIN is the Main Partner (primary sponsor) of the programme and is committed to supporting the programme through a significant financial contribution as well as personal endorsement of the programme by TEAMORIGIN team members over a number of years.

To date 147,317 OnBoard beginner sessions have been run across the country, with over 6,863 young people taking up sailing or windsurfing on a regular basis. There are 140 OnBoard Clubs and Centres, with several more due to join the programme during 2009. There are 1,849 volunteers involved as well as 868 schools, 201 youth groups and 91 community groups around the UK. Together the partnership will increase interest and involvement in sailing and get young people out on the water whilst retaining upwards of 10% to become long term participants of the sport.

2009 sees the launch and roll-out of 33 planned OnBoard Sailing Festivals throughout the UK aimed at extended the interest in sailing to more young newcomers.


America's Cup and TEAMORIGIN: What's the latest status?


Supplied image.

The recent decision by the New York Courts has set the 33 rd America’s Cup as a Deed of Gift Match between 2 teams only – SNG/Alinghi and GGYC/BMW Oracle, and that match is now due to take place in February 2010. Once this event has been completed, the AC programme should return to normal and TEAMORIGIN plans to resume normal operations again and compete in a multi-challenger 34 th America’s Cup event.

Sir Keith Mills commented “I have invested considerable time, money and effort to bring together an outstanding America’s Cup team. We are all disappointed that we cannot compete in the 33 rd America’s Cup and most of the challenging teams have now had to reduce levels of operations until certainty resumes. That said, I am absolutely committed to competing in, and winning, the America’s Cup, and look forward to moving forward again when the timetable for the 34 th Cup is announced.”

Mike Sanderson, Team Director, added “ We have been preparing, planning and training for over two years now for an event that continues to elude us. It has been a frustrating time but we must use this delay smartly, sensibly and economically. In a nutshell, there is no event for us to enter right now so it makes absolute sense, especially in today’s economic climate, to conserve our resources and wait until normality resumes.”

Ben Ainslie, Skipper and Helmsman gave his views on this latest status, “ The decision to race a Deed of Gift Match between Alinghi and BMW Oracle for the 33 rd America’s Cup is disappointing for me and the rest of TEAMORIGIN. However, we shall use the time wisely and continue to hone our skills on the World Match Racing circuit. The team we have pulled together has enormous potential and as soon as details are confirmed for a multi-challenger 34 th America’s Cup, we will drive forward again with the same ambition – to win the America’s Cup for Great Britain.”

TEAMORIGIN