Pindar wins The Artemis Challenge
Team Pindar today won the Artemis Challenge at Skandia Cowes Week, returning to competitive sailing in spectacular style. In addition to winning the coveted trophy, Pindar will donate the £10,000 prize fund to Earthwatch.
Despite some challenging conditions during the race, including gusts of up to 20 knots, Team Pindar lead from the outset and completed the race in 4 hours, 13 mins, 48 secs. Skippered by Vendée Globe entrant, Brian Thompson, the Pindar Open 60 won the race comfortably, finishing five minutes ahead of second placed BT and almost 10 minutes ahead of Ecover in third place.
Now in its second year, the 2008 Artemis Challenge, attracts some of the world's leading offshore sailors, who were joined by a celebrity line up of TV and sport stars including Davina McCall, Georgie Thompson, James Haskell and Dean Macey. The 50 mile race around the Island, saw the best of the IMOCA Open 60 fleet set off from the Squadron Line at 10am.
An elated Brian Thompson said, ‘It is an amazing feeling to have won our first race and vindicates all the hard work over the last year. The crew worked brilliantly together and I think they all enjoyed seeing what the boat is capable of. We got off to a great start and knew once we passed The Needles we'd be in with a good chance of lifting the trophy. Winning this race will be a huge confidence boost for the whole team as we continue to prepare for the Vendée.'
Pindar and Sailing
Pindar is a leading print and electronic media company that employs 2,500 people across the world. The family owned company retains its head office in Scarborough, Yorkshire, where it was founded in 1836.
Since the company's first ever sports sponsorship of The North Sea Yacht Race in 1980, Pindar has become one of the most established names in sailing. Best known for its sponsorship of Emma Sanderson (née Richards) in the 2002-03 Around Alone Race, Pindar has supported sailing campaigns across every level, ranging from grass roots and local community projects through to match racing and global offshore events at the very pinnacle of the sport.
Brian Thompson is a vastly experienced and successful offshore racer. He has been racing professionally for over twelve years, has broken 25 world records to date and has clocked up more multi-hull and swing keel sailing miles than any other Briton. Brian joined Team Pindar Earthwatch in August 2007 and he is set to skipper the new Juan Kouyoumdjian design Open 60 in this year's Vendée Globe.
Team Pindar Earthwatch
In November 2007, as part of an environmental change management programme, Pindar formed a partnership with Earthwatch. Pindar is working closely with Earthwatch to help raise awareness and funding for Earthwatch's Sustainable Oceans Research Programme.
Top photo: Copyright Mark Lloyd
Bottom photo: Copyright Worldwide Images