VELUX 5 OCEANS racer Brad Van Liew has showcased the huge sponsorship potential of his Eco 60 yacht – by branding it with a giant penguin. The eye-catching penguin graphic now adorns the bow of Van Liew's newly refitted yacht Team Lazarus highlighting the branding possibilities offered to sponsors.

Van Liew, from Charleston, USA, chose the penguin graphic in homage to the yacht's heritage – when she was built in 1998 French skipper Catherine Chabaud registered her as Le Pingouin, the French for 'the penguin'. Despite many name changes over the years due to sponsor commitments, the yacht has always been technically registered as Le Pingouin.

Van Liew said: “We have gone back to the roots of the boat, just as I have gone back to my roots of ocean racing after years of land-based activities. We hope the graphics showcase the potential for creative branding onboard. When we land a title/naming sponsor, the name of the boat and lion’s share of graphics will be changed to reflect the graphic choices of the sponsor.”

In the meantime, the yacht will bear the visually stunning penguin graphic along with Team Lazarus' slogan “Full noise or no noise”. Explaining the slogan, Van Liew said: “ It takes extreme measures to get a boat race-ready with a small team and limited funding. We are either pushing really hard or chilling out. We do it right or we don’t do it at all. Offshore, this translates into an attitude of determination and using every ounce of physical and mental energy I have to compete well and be the first American to officially complete three solo races around the world.”

Van Liew and his team are entering the final stages of a refit of Team Lazarus before Van Liew embarks on his qualifying passage across the Atlantic to the race start in La Rochelle.

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Last Updated ( Thursday, 29 July 2010 )