Leading British print and electronic media company Pindar today announced that ISAF World Sailor of the Year Mike Sanderson and Kiwi Brad Jackson will co-skipper their brand new Open 60 Pindar in the yacht’s racing debut, the Rolex Fastnet Race. Beginning at 10.00 on Sunday 12^th August, the Rolex Fastnet Race will see 15 Open 60’s line up against each other for what will be a true test of talent and technology.

The radical new Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed IMOCA Open 60, which hit the water for the first time in Auckland one month ago, arrived in Europe by ship from New Zealand earlier this week. She is currently undergoing final preparations and class measurement to allow her to compete in the Rolex Fastnet Race. Pindar’s new Open 60 incorporates many cutting edge features and is being likened to the latest generation Volvo 70s, the fastest monohulls on the planet.

Sanderson, who last year skippered ABN AMRO ONE to victory in the Volvo Ocean Race, has sailed with Jackson, one of his watch captains for the round-the-world race, since they were kids. Having been a key consultant in the design and build of Pindar’s new IMOCA Open 60 from day one, Sanderson is relishing the opportunity to race her in one of the world’s classic ocean races. Jackson, who has competed in four Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Races has an incredible offshore racing CV, having raced in the Fastnet Race twice before and the Australian alternative, the Sydney-Hobart Race five times in total.

The Rolex Fastnet Race is comprised of a 608 mile course beginning off Cowes, rounding the Fastnet Rock off southwest Ireland and finishing in Plymouth. First contested in 1925 and run biennially since the early 1930s, the race is famous for it’s tricky tides and changeable weather – notably the 1979 edition of the race when 17 competitors died during a vicious storm.

The Rolex Fastnet Race will be Sanderson’s only major competition with Pindar this year as he focuses on his recent appointment as Team Director with TEAMORIGIN, Sir Keith Mills’ British America’s Cup syndicate. Pindar will announce its co-skippers for the Transat Jacques Vabre race, a transatlantic dash starting from Le Havre this November, in due course.

Mike Sanderson commented: “The Rolex Fastnet Race is one of the best known offshore races in the world. I’m really looking forward to stretching Pindar’s legs in her first ever competition. There will be a great Open 60 fleet including several other brand new boats, and although Pindar will be too new to extract 100% performance out of her, we should get a good glimpse of what this new weapon can do.” 

Andrew Pindar, Chairman of the Pindar Group commented: “The whole Pindar team has been working really hard to get the boat ready for the Rolex Fastnet Race, and I am delighted that she has arrived safely from New Zealand in time for this historic event. I am sure that Mike and Brad will give it their all – they are the perfect skippers to helm Pindar in her debut.”

A prominent supporter of international sailing, this is Pindar’s first ever new build racing yacht. With her addition to the busy Pindar Ocean Racing programme, comes an expansion of the Pindar operational team. Nick Crabtree, a marine consultant from New Zealand has been appointed as Team Director, and Kels Gilkison, who was involved in the organisation of the 2002-2003 Around Alone, will be managing operations from Pindar Ocean Racing’s new south coast office, based in Haslar Marina, Gosport, Portsmouth.

Last Updated ( Friday, 03 August 2007 )