Booth and Dercksen extend sponsorship

Dutch Tornado team sign Zwitserleven through to the Games

The current European Champions in the Tornado, Herbert Dercksen and Mitch Booth will represent the Netherlands in the Tornado class during the Athens Olympics 2004. With 134 days before the start of the Olympics, Dercksen and Booth are pleased to announce their new partner Zwitserleven.

Herbert Dercksen and Mitch Booth currently lead the ISAF world ranking in the Tornado class and have been sailing together since 1997. The catamaran specialists are one of the favourites for winning a medal for the Netherlands.

Mitch Booth is very pleased about the progress made. “We have invested a lot of time in innovation. For example improving sail cloth and sail shape. And it paid of. We are absolutely on the right track. But also all our international competitors work hard on improving and innovating. Therefore we cannot sit still, and we are very pleased with Swiss Live’s support.”

Biggest competitors of Booth and Dercksen for the Olympic Gold are Austrian Roman Hagara who won Gold in Sydney. French Tornado specialist Olivier Backes, European Champion 2003 and Darren Bundock. The last is Mitch Booth’s former partner and now biggest rival from Australia.

Eliot Schuchart, Manager Communication for Zwitserleven pension insurance has lots of confidence in the team. “We have supported Herbert and Mitch for over a year in the Formula 18 class. For example during Round Texel and the F18 Worlds. The sport and this team perfectly match our Zwitserleven proposition and when Herbert asked me to extend the sponsoring as per April 1, we did not hesitate.”

From 10 till 17 April 2004 Booth and Dercksen will compete in the Tornado World Championships in Palma de Mallorca as Zwitserleven Sailing Team.