Gain paid experience with Pindar

Competition to find a new recruit for ocean racing team

Pindar, the leading international print and electronic media company who sponsor British yachtswomen Emma Richards and Hannah Mills, today announced the launch of an innovative international competition to find a new recruit for their ocean racing team.

The competition will provide one winner with a unique three-year apprenticeship where they will work as part of the Pindar team, sailing alongside Emma Richards. It will give the winner an incredible opening into the world of ocean racing, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in some of sailing’s most prestigious offshore races. Pindar, who have sponsored Emma Richards for the past four years, have set up the competition to continue their support of sailing and its positive impact with their customers.

The competition is open to anyone between the ages of 16 and 23. The selection process will begin with entrants writing in 250 words why they think that they have the attitude and aptitude to win. A panel of judges will interview the leading 30 entrants, they will also undergo a number of physical and mental tests. The judges will then select ten finalists to attend a day sail in May 2004 with Emma Richards on-board Pindar’s Open 60, where the winner will be chosen.

The competition will be exclusively launched in the January issue of Yachting World and is being run in conjunction with the RYA who will oversee an extensive training programme for the winner, and the HSBC Education Trust, for whom Emma works as an ambassador.

Emma Richards says: “This is a fantastic opportunity. One of the biggest problems in ocean sailing is that it is really tough for young sailors to find enough funding to break into the sport. I was so lucky that first Tracy Edwards, and then Pindar gave me the opportunity to realize my dreams so I’m thrilled that now someone else will have the same opportunity through this amazing competition. Good luck to all entries, and I look forward to meeting the lucky ten finalists in the spring.”

Andrew Pindar, Chairman of Pindar said “We have showed our commitment to sailing through our ongoing sponsorship of Emma and more recently with Hannah Mills. We believe that there is someone else out there that deserves the chance that they may otherwise not get and we want to find them. We have achieved great business success from our sponsorship of Emma, and so it is important that we can ensure continuity.”

The competition closes on 14 February 2004.

The winner will receive a full time, three year contract to join the Pindar Team starting in May 2004. All training will be carried out in consultation with the RYA.

The competition shortlist will be based not on sailing experience but on whether entrants can demonstrate the right attitude and determination to succeed.

The panel of judges will be:
Andrew Pindar - Chairman of the Pindar Group
Liz Rushall - Independent sponsorship consultant
Rod Carr - Chief Executive of the RYA
Dame Mary Richardson - Chief Executive of the HSBC Education Trust
Andrew Preece - Racing Editor of Yachting World

All terms and conditions of the competition can be found in the January issue of Yachting World.