ERICSSON SKIPPER WINS SAILING'S HIGHEST ACCOLADE
(Thomson Reuters ONE) - Wednesday, November 10, 2009Torben Grael, the skipper of Ericsson 4, the race winning entry inthe Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09, has been named the ISAF Rolex WorldSailor of the Year.The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award is the highest award asailor can receive in recognition of his outstanding achievements.The Awards are presented annually based on a worldwide selectionprocess that incorporates an open invitation to nominations, followedby a vote amongst the 130 member nations of the International SailingFederation (ISAF).In an emotional winning speech, Torben commented, "It's an honor tobe here. It's not the first time I've attended this award ceremony,but it's truly a different feeling to stand here," he said, frombehind the podium. "I am very thankful, and to be here I representnot only myself but all the people who helped me run my campaigns:the sailors, my family, my parents, my wife, the company Ericsson. Ithas been a fantastic year and it was a fantastic [Volvo Ocean] Race.This year has made me aware of some feelings I am not used to."This was the fourth time that the five-time Olympic medalist had beennominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award andwinning the award is the icing on the cake on an impressive year forthe Brazilian:"Ericsson 4 not only won the 08/09 Volvo Ocean Race and broke theworld 24 hour monohull record on the way, almost reaching the 600mile barrier. But I was also runner up at the Rolex Ilhabela SailingWeek, Cowes Week, the Rolex Fastnet Race and finished third at theRolex Maxi Worlds in Porto Cervo," he added.The Trophy was presented to Torben by HRH Prince Frederik of Denmarkand Lionel Schurh, Rolex Geneva at a spectacular Awards Ceremony atBusan in South Korea.EndsNote to editors:Ericsson 4 was one of the two-boat Ericsson Racing Team. Skippered byTorben Grael with an international crew, Ericsson 4 made a massiveimpression on the race. The statistics speak for themselves and afterten legs, Grael had led Ericsson 4 to the podium in eight of them andof those, five were at the top. Ericsson 4 was also in the top threeat all seven offshore scoring gates and on the podium for three ofthe seven in-port races, Grael's team accrued a total of 114.5 pointswhich represents 84% of the total points available. The team wasunbeatable for the final leg and they crossed the finish line in StPetersburg with a nine-point lead.The teams secret to success is in the intensive training, theinnovative boats and the solidity of the Ericsson 4 team. The onlyboat in the race not to make changes to their crew list, the toughcompetition and new race route meant a consistent performancethroughout was essential. After nine months and nearly 40,000nautical miles of racing, Ericsson 4 was the undisputed winner of theVolvo Ocean Race 2009-2009.With five Olympic medals under his belt, multiple world championshiptitles and a Louis Vuitton Cup, Torben Grael is a true world classcompetitor at every level of the sport and it was not long into legone that his team made their mark on the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009.On 29 October, Ericsson 4 entered the record books claiming the24hour Monohull World Record sailing a phenomenal 596.6nm, an averagespeed of 24.85 knots.The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards have been held everyyear since 1994 and past winners include Peter Blake (NZL), EllenMacArthur (GBR), Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Russell Coutts (SUI). In2008 the Awards were presented to four-time Olympic medal winners BenAinslie (GBR) and Alessandra Sensini (ITA).http://hugin.info/135770/R/1354411/328401.jpgThis announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Datum: 11.11.2009 - 19:57 Uhr
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