A specimen copy is kindly requested. Saint Petersburg, 29th of May 2014
Countdown to Nord Stream Race has started
World class sailors gather in Saint Petersburg
Tomorrow, on 30th of May, a long awaited moment has finally come: The start of Nord Stream Race 2014. Many international top-class sailors, including world and European champions, Olympians and many America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race veterans, have entered the competition.
Saint Petersburg gave the participants of Nord Stream Race 2014 a warm though rather rainy welcome. However, the weather had no effect on the good mood. All skippers expressed their excitement and answered the questions of journalists during today’s opening press conference in anticipation of the race. Race director Alan Green explained that the crews will have to be ready for some difficult light wind conditions during the first leg: “Sailors know that little wind is often more exhausting than strong wind.” So much is clear: It will definitely get exciting.
Nord Stream Race is already well known for its variety. “Every single one of the previous races has been completely different, no matter whether this was because of the wind conditions, the event timing or the competitors. However this is exactly what makes the regatta so attractive”, says Tim Kröger, Skipper of Team Europe.
Tommaso Chieffi, tactician of Team Russia, could also tell the press about tension and excitement. Last year the team of owner Vladimir Liubomirov reached the finish line in a nail-biting fight after having raced for 800 nautical miles. “And this was only with a difference of one boat length to the winning Team Britain.”
A lot of attention for the newcomers
Especially the newcomers in the Swan 60 fleet got a lot of attention. One of them is Team China with owner Yeliang Fan and skipper Lorenzo Bortolotti: “We are newcomers to this race but we are no beginners”, so the America’s Cup veteran. “However we still have a lot to learn on this new boat.” The situation is similar for Team Estonia of skipper Alar Volmer: “We have a very good crew but unfortunately not a lot of experience with the Swan 60.” The core of the crew from Tallinn has been sailing together on a 42 ft yacht for years and has already been amateur world champion in the ORC 1 class. The team of the Gazprom Youth Sailing Challenge is still dreaming about such success: The young crew around the Russian Whitbread Round the World Race participant and Olympian Sergey Borodinov is still at the beginning of their sailing career. “We have a long way to go but every mile we sail will bring us more experience.”
Leg 1: 150 nautical miles from Saint Petersburg to Helsinki
At the moment the yachts are moored in the center of Saint Petersburg at the English Embankment. Tomorrow morning they will make their way towards the fortress island of Kronstadt, where the customs and emigration formalities will be completed. The start of the race is scheduled for 2pm. Depending on the weather conditions the fleet is expected to reach Helsinki on Saturday afternoon after 150 nautical miles of sailing. However, everyone who has ever sailed before knows that many criteria come together. Currently it looks like a light wind race but this can change at any time. Of course there will be a race tracker available online again so that fans, friends and family at home can follow the race at any time: Every participating yacht will be equipped with a GPS unit. Beginning with the start in Saint Petersburg on 30th of May every movement of the boats can be seen on the race tracker on the Nord Stream Race website. So go online and follow the race live.
The website and a regular email newsletter already offer information, news and pictures in three languages. In addition Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will keep the Nord Stream Race community up-to-date with everything going on before during and after the race.
• Web: www.nord-stream-race.com • Newsletter: www.nord-stream-race.com/eng/newsletter-sign • Facebook: www.facebook.com/nordstreamrace • Twitter: www.twitter.com/nordstreamrace • Youtube: www.youtube.com/nordstreamrace PROGRAMME* 30. May 2014 14:00 (local time) Start Leg 1
from Saint Petersburg to Helsinki, 150 nautical miles
31. May 2014 Finish Leg 1
in Helsinki 1. June 2014
11:00 (local time)
In-port Races/WB Sail Race in Helsinki
2. June 2014 11:00 (local time)
Start Leg 2
from Helsinki to Rostock-Warnemünde, 600 nautical miles 4.-6. June 2014 Finish Leg 2
in Rostock-Warnemünde 7. June 2014
11:00 (local time)
Concluding press conference and subsequent prize giving ceremony; Sail & Cook event
Photos: Via the following link you can download first impressions of Nord Stream Race 2014 in high resolution: http://www.hqhh.de/download/fotos.zip
Advance notice regarding press conference:Right before the prize giving ceremony, a press conference will take place on 7th of June 2014 at 11am in the Yachthafenresidenz Hohe Düne in Rostock-Warnemünde. Race winners and participants of Nord Stream Race will be present.
If you require other photos or have any questions about Nord Stream Race, please contact: Nord Stream Race
in charge for public relations
HEADQUARTERS | HAMBURG Maritime Communications Annette Krüger
phone: +49 (0)40 87 87 999-18 mobile: +372 577 99 234 email: [email protected]
The race: Nord Stream Race 2014 is made up of two legs going across the whole of the Baltic Sea from Saint
Petersburg (Russia) to Rostock-Warnemünde (Germany) stopping once in Helsinki (Finland). Just as last year the race is open for Gazprom Swan 60 class and yachts under ORC handicap. Start for the 150 nautical mile medium-distance race from Saint Petersburg to Helsinki is on 30th of May 2014. In the Finnish capital the yachts will compete in an in-port race-series on 1st of June. On 2nd of June the fleet will leave for the 600 nautical mile long-distance race to Rostock-Warnemünde. The route then passes Gotland and Bornholm following the Nord Stream gas pipeline, the eponym of the regatta. Depending on windstrenght and –direction the boats will arrive at the finish in Warnemünde between 4th and 6th of June. Organiser of the top-class event is the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein together with Saint Petersburg Yacht Club in cooperation with Helsingfors Segelklubb. Nord Stream Race has been initiated in 2012 in order to connect the countries around the Baltic rim on a sporting level.
Partners of Nord Stream Race:
Norddeutscher Regatta Verein: The Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) founded 1868 is one of the largest yacht clubs in Germany and at the same time also a major organizer of national and international sailing events. One of the main objectives today is the development of our young sailors. We cultivate our traditions that have evolved from over 140 years of club history and at the same time we look ahead to master the many challenges yet to come. www.nrv.de
Saint Petersburg Yacht Club: The Yacht Club of Saint Petersburg (SPBYC) is based at Hercules Yacht Harbour within the heart of Russian sailing capital and was established in 2010. The yacht club aims to develop sailing as a sport across the Russian nation as well as valuing the duty to keep traditional maritime history and sea ethics alive through a sustainable worldwide legacy program for future generations. High profile honorary members include His Majesty Constantine II, King of Greece. SPBYC is a meeting place for like-minded individuals who all have a love and respect of the sea and is now ready to become a world renowned yachting hub. www.yacht-club-spb.ru
Helsingfors Segelklubb: Helsingfors Segelklubb was founded in 1899 and is located on the island of Lauttasaari only a few kilometres away from the city centre of Helsinki. The marina offers more than 560 mooring berths and a new club house that was finished in 2010. Already in 2012 during the first Nord Stream Race Helsingfors Segelklubb was host to the Swan 60 fleet. www.hoski.fi
Nord Stream: Nord Stream is a natural gas pipeline which links Russia and the European Union through the Baltic Sea. The first of Nord Stream’s two parallel pipelines became operational in November 2011, the second in October 2012. The total capacity is enough to supply more than 26 million European households. This international joint-venture project by major energy companies OAO Gazprom, BASF SE/Wintershall Holding GmbH and E.ON SE, N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie and GDF SUEZ S.A. is an important contribution to long-term security of supply and a milestone of the energy partnership between the European Union and Russia. The Nord Stream Pipeline offers a relevant route and context for the race. Due to its dimension and active stakeholder and public engagement, Nord Stream has become a symbol of international cooperation as the Nord Stream Race also intends to. Email: [email protected], www.nord-stream.com
Gazprom: Gazprom is a global energy company with its businesses extending across Russia and throughout more than 40 countries worldwide. Gazprom holds the world's largest natural gas reserves. The Company's share in the global and Russian gas reserves makes up around 18 and some 72 per cent respectively. Gazprom has long believed it has a responsibility to give back to the communities it works within and its social goals to promote a healthy lifestyle, an harmonious upbringing of a physically strong generation and worthy performances at international sporting events were a natural fit with the Nord Stream Race. www.gazprom.com
Marinepool: Marinepool is widely regarded as one of the leading sailing clothing and maritime lifestyle brands with sales in 43 countries worldwide and is the leading producer of life jackets for the leisure and sport market in Europe. The company’s vast product portfolio comprises performance sailing clothing and outdoor garments, functional fashion for sailing and water sports as well as lifestyle clothing lines for women, men and kids in a unique maritime style. Marinepool supports many high profile projects and campaigns and is the official clothing supplier to world-class teams, events and event series in sailing and power boating such as the Extreme Sailing Series™, Oman Sail, the national teams from Germany (Sailing Team Germany), France (FFVoile) and Austria (ÖSV) and last but not least, the world’s fastest racing yacht, the Maxi Trimaran "Spindrift 2". www.marinepool.com
Ernst Kabel Druck: Ernst Kabel Druck GmbH, Hamburg, is a Hanseatic print shop with a long tradition, well known for quality and innovation. We produce a large variety of printing products from business reports to A1-posters as well as extraordinary finishing options like stamping or embossing. Ernst Kabel Druck uses state-of-the-art machines and CtP technology to enable us to provide high quality services even under tight deadlines and to match big campaigns with each other. Contact: Henning Tebbe. www.kabel-druck.de
