Britain's AC Team Origin appear at Boat Shows

by Tim Kelly on 26 Jun 2007 National Boat Shows, organiser of the world-class Southampton Boat Show and the London Boat Show at ExCeL, has announced that Team Origin, the British America's Cup sailing team intending to challenge for the 33rd and 34th AC events, will appear at both shows.

Team Origin, which is making a ground-breaking British bid for the oldest trophy in international sport, the America’s Cup, will bring the newly liveried ‘GBR 75’ race training America’s Cup boat to the Southampton Show and will also deliver a team presence at the London Boat Show at ExCeL, to which they has pledged their exclusive support.

Team Origin, which is headed up by Sir Keith Mills, the British businessman who ran London's victorious bid to host the 2012 Games and Paralympics Games, is aspiring to win the America's Cup and bring the world's longest running sporting event back to British shores for the first time since its inception over 150 years ago.

Andrew Williams, Managing Director of NBS, comments: 'we are proud to be announcing this exclusive partnership between National Boat Shows, the British Marine Federation and Team Origin. The bid is a hugely exciting prospect for British sailing and we’re delighted to be supporting them at both the Southampton Boat Show and London Boat Show at ExCeL.'

Sir Keith Mills added: 'Featuring our first fully liveried Team Origin race training boat at the Southampton Boat Show is the perfect platform to gain the public’s support behind our bid for sailing glory.'

At the Southampton Boat Show for the first three days, the Team Origin AC race boat will be moored on the spectacular Hydropool marina, with visitors to the show able to meet the crew both on the boat and at the feature stage at various times during the show.

This will be the first time a public feature has been dedicated to the team’s bid, since the launch in January at the 2007 London Boat Show at ExCeL.