Veolia commit to MOD70

Cat finally out of the bag regarding Roland Jourdain's future

Veolia Environnement are soon to start the Route du Rhum-La Banque Postale with skipper Roland Jourdain on their IMOCA 60, but the world’s leading environmental service company has today announced that it will continue its commitment to sailing with Jourdain, who it has supported since 2004. After their long tenure in the IMOCA circuit, from 2011, they will switch to three hulls in preparation for tackling the new international MOD 70 circuit from 2012: the Multi One Championship.

The emergence of the new MOD70 one-design trimaran where the creators have made the deliberate choice to adopt an eco-approach for their global circuit comes at exactly the right time for Veolia. Stève Ravussin who will skipper first MOD 70 prototype, followed by Michel Desjoyeaux on Foncia and the Gitana Team with Yann Guichard have already announced they will be competing on the circuit. By adding Veolia to the list of committed teams, Roland Jourdain is signing up for a return to multihull ocean racing after more than ten years solely on monohulls.

“We are delighted to have extended our partnership with Roland Jourdain for a project that is both more international in scope and more focused on the environment," said Antoine Frérot, CEO of Veolia Environnement. "This adventure would not have had the same resonance for us had we not been able to continue it with him. His qualities as a champion and his extensive list of awards aside, it is the quality of the human relations that have been established between all Veolia Environnement employees and Roland that we cherish most.”

Roland Jourdain, skipper of Veolia Environnement said: “I am very happy that Veolia Environnement has renewed its trust in me. By sharing this new challenge together, we will be able to build on our actions through this new dimension to our partnership. I am both pleased to be part of the emergence of a new class of boats and a new circuit enabling me to experience the joys of multihulls again, and to continue this adventure across the world’s oceans, reaching out to new countries. I am all the more delighted in that we will be part of an approach that is more focused on the environment, an aspect that interests me as much today as the sporting aspect, which I am able to develop thanks to Veolia Environnement.”

Marco Simeoni, President of Multi One Design SA added: “We are particularly pleased that Veolia Environnement has joined the Multi One Championship. In addition to the magnificent sporting achievements and the renown of the Roland Jourdain/Veolia Environnement tandem, this team sits perfectly with the values promoted by our “Sport in favor of the planet” program.”

The world’s leading environmental services company, Veolia Environnement contributes through its activities to the quality and conservation of natural environments, such as soil, air and water. For this reason, the Company is keen to continue its commitment to sailing, extending its project to encompass a broader international and environmental dimension to share the adventure with its 310,000 employees worldwide.

The program ahead for Veolia Environnement:

60-foot monohull > October 31, 2010: Start of the Route du Rhum-La Banque Postale

MOD 70 -0 June 2011: Veolia Environnement MOD 70 launched
November 2011: Offshore races
July 2012: Ocean Race
September 2012: European Tour
June-July 2013: European Tour
November 2013-April 2014: Ocean’s World Tour