Phil Sharp secures title sponsor

Imerys steps in

Phil Sharp's Energy Challenge has secured Title Partnership with Imerys, world leader in the mineral-based products for industry, who will be supporting the British skipper's entry in the 2016 Class 40 Championship, commencing with the Transat bakerly on 2 May.

Headquartered in Paris, with a presence in over 50 countries, 16,000 employees and €4 billion revenue, Imerys serves multiple sectors such as consumer goods, industrial equipment, energy and construction. Passionate about sustainable development and sophisticated technical equipment, two divisions of the Group, Graphite & Carbon and Roofing have jointly decided to take part in the Energy Challenge’s adventure.

Alongside a competitive entry in some of the toughest international ocean racing events, a core objective of the Energy Challenge is to advance low carbon technologies to provide increased efficiency and energy security. This includes the development of a clean energy system for the boating market utilising the latest energy storage methods, including lithium-battery and hydrogen technology. Imerys share this strong passion for low carbon and sustainable innovation, developing materials for green technologies that aim to produce a competitive advantage over fossil fuels. A specialism of Imerys Graphite and Carbon lies in the development of high efficiency battery technology and they will be working closely with the Energy Challenge in testing and demonstration.

Hugues Jacquemin, Vice President & General Manager of Imerys Graphite & Carbon commented: “Imerys Graphite & Carbon is very proud to be a sponsor and a technical partner of the Energy Challenge because we believe in green performance innovation technologies. Our innovative lithium-battery systems are developed for high reliability and high performance, which is an essential component of the Energy Challenge endeavour.

"We are also very pleased to be a part of this adventure as ocean racing provides a unique platform to demonstrate our cutting edge technology, and competitive ocean racing embeds our values of leadership, performance and continuous improvement."

Phil Sharp said: "It's a great opportunity for us to work together and test the high performance technologies Imerys Graphite & Carbon are developing. Testing the technology in extreme and isolated environments offshore will provide valuable data to optimise and evolve their systems.

"Offshore sailing is a sport that pushes both human and technical boundaries. It is an inspiring and high endurance sport that enables you to discover the limits of your full potential. For an offshore sailor, mitigating risk is everything. As a solo sailor out in some of the most ferocious conditions the oceans can offer, you want the reassurance that you have low risk systems you can trust and rely on."