giovedì 10 maggio 2012

Nuovi progetti: FARR 400


Nuovo bellissimo progetto per Elvstrom Sails: Jesper Bank al timone e vele EPEX per una campagna nella nuova classe FARR 400!

Elvstrom Sails, da anni leader nel settore crociera, continua il suo forte impegno nel mondo delle regate, spinta dai recenti successi come la vittoria al mondiale X-35 e il dominio alla Major Regatta di Kiel, e forte di una tecnologia - EPEX - che non teme paragoni.



Norwegian Farr 400 project joins forces with Jesper Bank and Elvstrøm Sails

- We are committed to the campaign and therefore we have to work the best partners, says Farr 400-owner Claus Landmark, who gets Jesper Bank at the helm of new boat.

AABENRAA, DENMARK: Elvstrøm Sails A/S joins forces with Norwegian sailor Claus Landmark in the development of a Farr 400 campaign, that will compete at the ORCi Worlds in Finland. The partnership emphasizes Elvstrøm Sails commitment to develop its products in the high-performance category.

- To us this is a unique opportunity, says new Sales Director at Elvstrøm Sails A/S, Espen Kamperhaug, who recently became part-owner of the world-known Danish sailmaker.

- We have serious ambitions with this project in regards to further development of our sails in the most competitive fleets. Racing in one-design classes provides us with useful information about, where we are compared to our competitors in the making of the best racing sails.

As Development Director at Elvstrøm Sails A/S the two-time Olympic Gold Medallist Jesper Bank does not hide, that the Farr 400 class is both interesting and challenging.

- I have already sailed a Farr 400 even though the class is brand new, and I look forward to seeing this partnership with Claus Landmark making great results on the race courses around the world, says Jesper Bank.

The Farr 400 class is growing at a fast pace similar to the way its older sister, the Farr 40, did 10-15 years ago. Norwegian owner Claus Landmark has already ordered the full-carbon boat which is now being build in Dubai.

EPEX-technology on top of the podium
Elvstrøm Sails A/S will custom-make the sails for the project on the sail loft and design department in Aabenraa, Denmark in collaboration with the new sailing team. Already in August the boat and team will be tested at the OCRi World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

- For many years Elvstrøm Sails A/S has been Europe’s largest producer of sails to cruising boats. With the new project we continue our engagement on the racing scene following the victory at last year’s X-35 World Championship showing that our EPEX-technolgy is leading when it comes down to performance and sail shape stability, says Jesper Bank.

The new Farr 400 boat is build by Premier Composite Technologies in Dubai, the same company that produces the Landmark 43. During the last 15 months 12 Farr 400’s have been build and the one-design class has been made with speed and performance in mind – not handicap rules.

- Sailing is changing, and one-design classes are becoming more and more popular, says Claus Landmark, who represents Premier Composite Technologies in Scandinavia.

A Farr 400 event every year in Scandinavia
Landmark is expecting to launch his new boat mid-June.

- The boat will be shipped directly to Stockholm, Sweden, and the Gotland Rundt Race will be its maiden voyage. Following Gotland Rundt the boat will participate in the ORCi World Champs in Finland in August. Until a one-design class is established in the Scandinavian region, we will compete in ORCi regattas and we strongly believe the boat and team has the capacity to make its way to the podiums. At least we will be around to promote the boat and class, says Claus Landmark.

- This boat class is made to be shipped and fits a 40 foot container. And it doesn’t cost more send it around the world to regattas than winter storage costs in Norway, thus making the project running all year around. We see ourselves as pioneers as we become the first boat of its kind in the region with a clear goal of hosting a recurrent yearly Farr 400 regatta in Scandinavia, Landmark continues.

He expects the sailing hot-shots of the sailing community will make a world-wide sailing series of five to six events.

Bank and Elvstrøm Sails at the helm
Some time in autumn the new Farr 400 will change its home base location from Norway to Aabenraa, Denmark, where a dedicated team skippered and helmed by Jesper Bank will take over management and actual racing the boat at high-profile regattas like Key West Race Week, Miami Race Week, Heineken Regatta and regattas in Germany and Scandinavia.

- Elvstrøm Sails A/S is a developing company and to make the best products for our costumers – also the ones who never race – we want to use our knowledge and put our sails to test in boatclasses on the fore-front like the Farr 400 and the extreme trimaran Carbon 3, says Jesper Bank about the company’s involvement in the Farr 400 project.