New boats for Industry Challenge

Sunsail's new fleet of 37s expected for world's largest corporate yacht race

One of Sunsail's new Jeanneau Sunfast 37s

The Industry Sailing Challenge 2002, probably the largest corporate sailing event in the world, was launched on the Sunsail stand at the London Boat Show recently with the unveiling of the new Sunfast 37 (above) in which the event will now be sailed and the presentation of the coveted trophy to Mark Oaten from National Grid, winners of the 2001 Industry Sailing Challenge.
The 2002 Industry Sailing Challenge, in which over 1000 competitors are anticipated to take part, will be sailed over five Challenge Rounds between 21 May and 30 May in which between 20 and 25 boats will take part. The first three boats from each challenge round go through to the Grand Final on the weekend of Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July. Individual sponsors for the challenge rounds include BAE Systems, Ricardo PLC, Panasonic Consumer Electronics and Sony Videoconferencing.

Sailed in Sunsail's new identically-matched fleet of 40 Sunfast 37s, Industry Sailing Challenge is a combination of skill, team building and planning as well as being a demanding challenge. Crews from both large and small companies take part with nationally known names competing against complete unknowns.

Many companies whose staff are not necessarily all sailors can augment their lack of knowledge and racing expertise with a Sunsail skipper, giving them an equal opportunity to win against other crews in the event

The 2002 event will follow the same format as last year with each heat consisting of two circumnavigations of the Isle of Wight, with the final including two nail-biting inshore races followed immediately by a single circumnavigation of the island. Crews are restricted to a maximum of six, thus making racing hard work as the boats usually race with a crew of eight.

Among the competitors that have taken part in previous years are British Airways, IBM, Marks & Spencer, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, Microsoft, Deutsche Bank and Porsche. Last year was a record entry with over 100 companies contesting the heats and this year looks like being even bigger.

Once again Industry Sailing Challenge will be sailed under the flag of the Royal London Yacht Club at Cowes, where a champagne breakfast prize-giving will be held after each of the heats and where the winner will be presented with the trophy after the final on 14th July.

Commenting on the launch of Industry Sailing Challenge 2002, Andy Howard, Sales & Marketing Director for Sunsail, commented: "this year's Industry Sailing Challenge is likely to be more competitive than ever. With Sunsail's new fleet of matched Sunfast 37s, and even more companies taking part, the first three boats in each heat that win through to the final will have to exercise all their skill and cunning to be at the front of the fleet.

"As a competition, Industry Sailing Challenge is unique. It combines strength, teamwork, skill and the building of trust and confidence in each of the crews taking part. We look forward to some excellent racing and friendly competition in what promises to be a closely fought series."