Ellen MacArthur's Offshore Challenges sailing team lauch Big Cat campaign

by Offshore Challenges on 4 Jun 2002 European retailer KINGFISHER plc acquire the record holder 'Orange' for Ellen MacArthurs 'Jules Verne' round the world record attempt this winter (2002/3).

Offshore Challenges Sailing Team (OC) plan one year later to enter THE RACE 2004 in the same boat, with an international team and a new global sponsor - to be secured.

Until December, OC's Ellen MacArthur and Nick Moloney will focus on the ROUTE DU RHUM, solo Transatlantic Race starting Nov 9th - marking the final solo monohull race on 'Kingfisher I' for Ellen and the first for Nick as he launches his Vendée Globe 2004 campaign.

Led by Ellen MacArthur, Team KINGFISHER plan to set off around the planet next winter to attempt to become the fastest sailors on earth. They will sail one of the giant 110ft (33m) 'megacats' on the 25,000 mile course. The record of 64 days 8 hours 37 minutes and 24 seconds was set just a few weeks ago by Bruno Peyron on the same boat that MacArthur will use for her attempt.

Although official handover of the catamaran will not take place until October after the completion of the current charter to 'Orange', Team Kingfisher members will sail onboard during the summer, enabling a good preparation and training period prior to the winter start.

The catamaran will be renamed 'KINGFISHER 2' and will be re-branded in the colours of B&Q and CASTORAMA the key DIY brands of Kingfisher plc.

A team of 10 international sailors, handpicked by Ellen, will set off on a date dictated by the weather patterns, but at some point between December 2002 and February 2003.

Speaking just after stepping ashore from her latest race, Ellen was excited by the news of the acquisition; 'We now have an excellent boat for our challenge on the Jules Verne record next winter. She's come back in great shape, and I look forward to enjoying some spectacular and challenging sailing on her at the end of the year.'

Questioned about the new record set by Peyron, Ellen was in confident mood - 'There is no doubt Bruno has set a fast record, but there will probably be 4 campaigns out there next winter all with a good chance of breaking it by as much as another 5 days. We'll have time for some small improvements to the boat compared with the recent attempt, notably in the sail inventory, and we're all going to be pushing that bit harder as well. That said, just to complete the Jules Verne course is in itself a big thing - history shows that less than half the attempts have even made it around the globe. It's a tough challenge!'

When will Ellen first sail the big catamaran? 'Until November my personal focus is firmly on the monohull 'Kingfisher' and preparations for the solo Route du Rhum race in November - that is the big one for me in 2002. We have a great team to prepare the catamaran at the same time, and as soon as I have finished the Rhum I will be flying back to join the team'

As part of the acquisition of the new maxi-cat, OFFSHORE CHALLENGES, the turnkey sponsorship management company specialising in extreme sports, have entered The Race 2004. The company owned by Mark Turner and Ellen MacArthur has a strong team who have already managed every aspect of the successful Kingfisher Vendée campaign and are now looking at other
areas of the sport of sailing. THE RACE 2004 will bring together all the big record breaking boats in existence for a flat-out fleet race around the planet. Whilst not part of Ellen MacArthur's personal programme, Offshore Challenges plan to
enter an international team with a global sponsor yet to be secured.

In the meantime, both sailors from OFFSHORE CHALLENGES SAILING TEAM have a different, single-hulled focus.. Ellen MacArthur and Nick Moloney will race in the monohull division of the famous single-handed 'Route du Rhum' transatlantic race in November.

For Ellen it will be the anniversary of the start of the relationship with the European retail group Kingfisher plc - a successful partnership that began with the last edition of the event in 1998 with a victory in Class II, the 50 foot class.

Ellen will of course skipper 'Kingfisher I' the famous blue and yellow Open 60 monohull that took her safely and speedily around the globe in the Vendée 2000.

For Nick it will be the first step to achieving his third big round the world goal - the Vendée Globe 2004. Having competed in the last Whitbread race with Dennis Conner, and more recently being part of the Jules Verne record run on 'Orange' Nick's aim is to now do it solo.

In the 'Rhum' he will be aiming in his first solo race to make the podium with a chartered Open 50, the ex-Around Alone winning boat 'Cray Valley'. Title sponsorship is yet to be secured for the Route du Rhum and the Vendée.