WE ALL realise how key to the growth of sailing sponsorship is. Take one determined young solo yachtswoman named Ellen MacArthur for example.
Local Southampton engineering company Turbo Services International has recognised the sparkle of human endeavour in three Hampshire sailors with a mission to smash two British yachting records this coming season.
Armed with a diversity of skills and sailing experience between them, John Fisher, Duncan Barr and John Hanson have acquired a 34ft trimaran and are preparing an assault on both the Round The Island multihull record and the record for the Fastnet later this summer.
In the run-up to these the team is using the Raymarine Warsash Spring Series as core training ground with the backing of Larry Rumbol, co-director of the Totton-based Turbo Services International.
Rumbol has afforded the three determined sailors a Laser SB3 for this season. The team, from Eastleigh and Bassett Green, have clocked up some first and second places in the Sportsboat class so far this spring. "I am very keen to support the efforts of human endeavour," commented Larry Rumbol at Turbo Services International. "The idea of the little guy competing to succeed despite the big guy - that is the ethos of our company," he added.
The team has a long list of sailing credentials. Duncan Barr was instrumental on the GBR Challenge project, designing, building and developing their keels. John Fisher, who will helm the 34ft trimaran Shockwave in their record attempts, has 3,000 racing and cruising miles under his belt and was winner of the Two Handed Round Britain Race in 1998.
The third member of the crew, John Hanson, has 12 years' sailing experience and having worked with marine brands such as Harken and Spinlock he knows the industry like the back of his hand.
Barr knows Shockwave, loaned by American Ralph Marks, well as he designed and built her rig a few years back. The multihull is in Saxon Wharf undergoing final touches before she is launched later this month. "We are eager to get her on the water," commented Duncan, "we'll be looking at the sail combination and tweaking the boat before hitting the offshore scene.
"We're looking at doing the two-handed Nab Tower and Weymouth races and will have some competition in the form of a 40ft tri in the Round The Island race."
Aside from crew training they are also looking for some sponsorship to assist with a sail inventory and the numerous other costs involved. For more information on Team Shockwave contact John Hanson on jhanson1@medgb.jnj.com.
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