Team Alvimedica welcomes the public to boat naming ceremony

by Team Alvimedica on 24 Jun 2014 Team Alvimedica welcomes the public to a boat naming ceremony and harborside festivities celebrating the young Volvo Ocean Race team at the Newport Shipyard on Saturday, June 28. Former U.S. Surgeon General, Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA is the guest of honor who will formally name the boat at its homeport.

'We are honored that Dr. Benjamin, who recently held one of the highest ranking healthcare positions in the United States, will name Team Alvimedica’s racing boat for our entry in the Volvo Ocean Race around the world,' said Alvimedica CEO, Dr. Cem Bozkurt. 'For Alvimedica, the link to health and science is important in this global sporting competition.'

Alvimedica, a fast growing challenger in the global field of interventional cardiology, will work with American skipper Charlie Enright and the race crew to measure relevant cardiovascular changes throughout the 38,000-mile sailing competition. The race will provide a unique and physically demanding environment, allowing Alvimedica to study the health and fitness of the crew on this challenging adventure,' Dr. Bozkurt said.

'We are fortunate to have Dr. Benjamin, a recognized advocate of healthy lifestyle, nutrition and stress management, to honor the team and wish the courageous crew a safe voyage,' Dr. Bozkurt said.

In addition to being the 18th United States Surgeon General, Dr. Benjamin established herself as a leader at a young age. In 1995, she was the first physician under age 40 to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. She later became the first African-American woman to be elected president of a state medical society in the US. Dr. Benjamin was the Founder, CEO, and solo family physician at the Bayou Clinic in the small fishing village of Bayou La Batre, Alabama. She rebuilt the clinic each time after several devastating disasters, including Hurricane Katrina. In 2013, she was ranked by Reader’s Digest as #22 of the 100 most trusted people in America.

'Dr. Benjamin is a role model and she characterizes the core attributes of the Alvimedica brand; being a young, agile, courageous challenger striving to become the trusted partner in our field of work, says Sehnaz Ogut Vartanyan, Chief Marketing Officer of Alvimedica.

As Former Vice Admiral of the U.S Public Health Service and America’s Doctor, it is fitting for Dr. Benjamin to ceremonially name the team’s racing boat. She will have the role of the boat’s Godmother, which is the sea-faring tradition of naming the boat and wishing the crew a safe voyage.

What: Team Alvimedica Boat Naming Ceremony
Who: Public invited
Where: Newport Shipyard, 1 Washington Street
When: Saturday, June 28 - 3:00pm (doors open 2:30pm)

In the week before the boat naming ceremony, Team Alvimedica sailed to Long Island Sound and New York City as part of promotional tour to the Oakcliff Sailing Center in Oyster Bay and New York Harbor. Skipper Charlie Enright and crew will depart The North Cove Marina in lower Manhattan Monday evening, June 23, returning to Newport Tuesday, June 24 to make final preparations for the public event on Saturday, June 28.

Team Alvimedica is the youngest entry in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015, which is the world's toughest and longest sporting event. The crew is led by American skipper Charlie Enright, age 29. The team’s owner, Alvimedica, is a young European based medical devices company, which is committed to developing minimally-invasive technologies. Founded in 2007, Alvimedica is a fast growing challenger in the global field of interventional cardiology.

This is the team’s first entry in the extremely challenging 38,000-mile race that starts in Alicante, Spain on October 4, 2014, stopping in 11 ports around the world.

Follow the Team on: Facebook and on Volvo Ocean Race