World class sailors meet in Flensburg
On 12th of September, at 12pm, the time has finally come for the start to the Nord Stream Nations Cup Match Race. Five Gazprom Swan 60-yachts will be competing in exciting one-on-one duels right in front of the Marina Sonwik in Flensburg. The international sailing elite is going to attend, World and European Champions, Olympic athletes and many America’s Cup- and Volvo Ocean Race-participants will be there.
The teams starting at the Nations Cup Match Race are from Germany, Great Britain, Russia and Turkey. Also Team Europe is competing with an all-European crew. The sailors on board the 20-metre long racers come from various countries and rank amongst the world-elite of sailing.
Tim Kröger from Team Europe for example has got the Swiss professional Christian Scherrer on board who was part of the winning America’s Cup-Team Alinghi in 2003 and Match Race World Champion in 2006. Other team members are the German Starboat-sailor and Olympic athlete Robert Stanjek and the multiple Volvo Ocean Race-participant Magnus Woxén from Sweden.
Frontrunner for the win of the second edition of Nord Stream Race is Team Russia with Skipper Vladimir Liubomirov who is the current Swan 60 World Champion. One member of his Russian-Italian crew of world class professionals is the multiple World- and European Champion Tommaso Chieffi. As tactician the Olympic athlete was for example part of the Volvo Ocean Race-projects “Shosholoza” and ABN AMRO.
With the Brit Adrian Stead another big name in sailing has been announced for Nord Stream Race. Multiple Farr 40 World- and European Champion with “Mascalzone Latino”, TP52 World Champion and Audi Medcup winner with “Quantum” as well as Fastnet Race-, Copa del Rey- and Mini Maxi World Champion with “RAN” are only a few of his impressive successes. Amongst his Team Great Britain-crew of professionals are the Volvo Ocean Race-participants Jules Salter and Simon Fisher (both UK) as well as Andrew McLean (New Zealand).
For the Nations Cup Match Race Team Germany will lead by the multiple German Champion in Match Racing Sven-Erik Horsch. Also on board is Michael Müller who sailed round the world twice as part of the Volvo Ocean Race. For the long-distance regatta from Flensburg to Saint Petersburg that starts on 15th and 16th September respectively, the four-times Maxi World Champion Thomas Jungblut will be at the helm of Team Germany.
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The newcomer in the Nord Stream Race fleet is Team Turkey. The crew from the Bosporus region consists mainly of young sailors – a third of whom are female. The yacht will be helmed by the 38-year-old Cenk Tekkaya who has already helmed several offshore-regattas in the Mediterranean but sailing on the Baltic Sea is a new challenge for him. In 2008 he was awarded most successful sailing instructor of Turkey.
Three and four days after the Match Race, on 15th and 16th September respectively, the 800 nm long-distance regatta from Flensburg to Saint Petersburg will get under way. Besides the Swan 60-fleet a strong fleet of ORC-yachts is also taking up the challenge.
The long-distance regatta can be followed on the internet 24/7. All participating yachts are equipped with GPS-units. The tracking service on the Nord Stream Race homepage will commence with the start of the regatta.
PROGRAMME*
NORD STREAM MATCH RACE – Thursday, 12. September 2013
Location: Marina Sonwik, Fördepromenade, Flensburg
12.00 h
Start for the first race of the Match Race Series with public viewing and live commentary
19.00 h
Match for rank 3
19.30 h
Final
20.00 h
Prize giving ceremony in the race village
NORD STREAM RACE – Sunday, 15. September 2013
Location: in front of the Yacht Harbour Glücksburg, Quellental, Glücksburg
12.00 h
Start for the ORC-yachts to the 800nm-long Nord Stream Race to Saint Petersburg
NORD STREAM RACE – Monday, 16. September 2013
Location: in front of the Yacht Harbour Glücksburg, Quellental, Glücksburg
12.30 h
Start for the Swan 60-yachts to the 800 nm-long Nord Stream Race to Saint Petersburg
*subject to alterations
More information on www.nord-stream-race.com
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Photos and video footage: Nord Stream Race will have a photographer and a camera crew on site who will follow the whole event. Photos will be published at www.nord-stream-race.com. In addition we offer video footage that you can download from the news aktuell footage-platform http://footage.presseportal.de.
For requests, please contact:
Nord Stream Race
in charge for public relations Headquarters | Hamburg Maritime Communications
Annette Krüger
phone +49 (0)40 87 87 999-18 mobile +49 (0)171 8810 883
email media@nord-stream-race.com
The race: The Nord Stream Race is a non-stop regatta that covers more than 800 nautical miles across the Baltic Sea. The regatta starts on September 15th 2013 from Glücksburg. The route passes east of Bornholm and then follows the Nord Stream gas pipeline which is also the name giver of the race. The finish line is just a few miles off Saint Petersburg. The Race is open for the Gazprom Swan 60 Class and yachts under ORC-handicap. Depending on the size and type of the respective yacht and on the wind conditions the boats will be on the water for approximately four to six days. Organiser of this top-class event is the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) together with Saint Petersburg Yacht Club (SPBYC), supported by Flensburger Segel-Club (FSC). The Nord Stream Race was initiated in 2012 and serves the transnational connection between the Baltic Rim countries on a sporting level.
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Partners of Nord Stream Race:
Saint Petersburg Yacht Club: The Yacht Club of Saint Petersburg (SPBYC) is based at Hercules Yacht Harbour within the heart of Russian sailing capital and was established in 2010. The yacht club aims to develop sailing as a sport across the Russian nation as well as valuing the duty to keep traditional maritime history and sea ethics alive through a sustainable worldwide legacy program for future generations. High profile honorary members include His Majesty Constantine II, King of Greece. SPBYC is a meeting place for like-minded individuals who all have a love and respect of the sea and is now ready to become a world renowned yachting hub. www.yacht-club-spb.ru
Norddeutscher Regatta Verein: The Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) founded 1868 not only is the largest yacht club in Germany but at the same time it is also a major organizer of national and international sailing events. One of the main objectives today is the development of our young sailors. We cultivate our traditions that have evolved from over 140 years of club history and at the same time we look ahead to master the many challenges yet to come. www.nrv.de
Nord Stream: Nord Stream is a natural gas pipeline which links Russia and the European Union through the Baltic Sea. The first of Nord Stream’s two parallel pipelines became operational in November 2011, the second in October 2012. The total capacity is enough to supply more than 26 million European households. This international joint-venture project by major energy companies Gazprom, BASF SE/Wintershall Holding GmbH and E.ON Ruhrgas AG, N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie and GDF SUEZ S.A. is an important contribution to long-term security of supply and a milestone of the energy partnership between the European Union and Russia. The Nord Stream Pipeline offers a relevant route and context for the race. Due to its dimension and active stakeholder and public engagement, Nord Stream has become a symbol of international cooperation as the Nord Stream Race also intends to. www.nord-stream.com
Contact:
Ulrich Lissek, Communications Director, Mobile: +41 79 874 31 58
Jens D. Müller, Deputy Communications Director, Mobil: +41 79 295 96 08
Email: press@nord-stream.com
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Gazprom: Gazprom is a global energy company with its businesses extending across Russia and throughout more than 40 countries worldwide. Gazprom holds the world’s largest natural gas reserves. The Company’s share in the global and Russian gas reserves makes up around 18 and some 72 per cent respectively. Gazprom has long believed it has a responsibility to give back to the communities it works within and its social goals to promote a healthy lifestyle, an harmonious upbringing of a physically strong generation and worthy performances at international sporting events were a natural fit with the Nord Stream Race. www.gazprom.com
Marinepool: Marinepool is widely regarded as one of the leading sailing clothing and maritime lifestyle brands with sales in 43 countries worldwide and is the leading producer of life jackets for the leisure and sport market in Europe. The company’s vast product portfolio comprises performance sailing clothing and outdoor garments, functional fashion for sailing and water sports as well as lifestyle clothing lines for women, men and kids in a unique maritime style. Marinepool is partner of world-class teams and events such as the Extreme Sailing Series™, Energy Team France and the Sailing Team Germany. www.marinepool.com
Ernst Kabel Druck: Ernst Kabel Druck GmbH, Hamburg, is a Hanseatic print shop with a long tradition, well known for quality and innovation. We produce a large variety of printing products from business reports to A1-posters as well as extraordinary finishing options like stamping or embossing. Ernst Kabel Druck uses state-of-the-art machines and CtP technology to enable us to provide high quality services even under tight deadlines and to match big campaigns with each other.