Pindar supports Injured Soldiers at Cowes Week
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Article Date: 2008-07-31
View Count: 424
Pindar, the leading print and electronic media company and wide sponsor
of sailing campaigns, has lent its support to ISSI (Injured Soldiers Sailing
Initiative) offering injured British servicemen and woman the chance to compete
in the Skandia Cowes Week, which takes place from 2-9
August.
The new initiative, also known as the ‘Toe in the Water’ campaign has
been set up to use sailing as a vehicle to encourage and motivate soldiers who
have sustained traumatic injuries and are currently being treated at Headley
Court, the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre.
In return for the chance to sail on the Pindar Open 60 yacht, specialist
computer equipment suppliers, Microlink PC has
donated £15,000 to the cause, which will enable the ISSI to enter a mixed team
of injured and able-bodied sailors who will compete onboard an A40RC in IRC
Class 1, throughout the week.
Pindar’s
Open 60 skipper, Brian Thompson who is preparing for the start of the Vendee
Globe in November, has offered to coach the team in the lead up to the regatta.
He has also invited two injured soldiers to compete alongside him in the in the
Artemis Challenge, round-the-island race, next Tuesday, 5 August, where former
Pindar ambassador and 2006 ISAF Sailor of the Year, Mike Sanderson and designer
of the boat, Juan Kouyoumdjian,
will also form part of the crew.
Now
in its second year, The
Artemis Challenge, is part of the Skandia Cowes Week IRC Class 0 Big Boat Series
and pits some of the best of the IMOCA Open 60 Fleet against each other in a
50-mile sprint around the Isle of Wight. In addition to the coveted trophy, the
skippers and crews will be competing for the £10,000 prize fund that will be
donated to the winning team's charity of choice. Joining Brian on the start line
are fellow
Vendee Globe entrants: Mike Golding (Ecover), Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) and Dee
Caffari (Aviva).
Speaking from the Team Pindar base in Gosport, Brian commented, ‘The Injured Soldiers Sailing Initiative is an amazing scheme that offers heroic men and women the chance to experience the thrill of top class sailing. I’m looking forward to working with the ISSI team and welcoming the soldiers on board for the Artemis Challenge, which promises to be a great event.’
Andrew Pindar, Chairman of the Pindar Group added, ‘Alongside the tremendous generosity of Microlink PC, we are delighted to be involved with the Injured Soldiers Sailing Initiative, which not only offers a new form of motivation for the soldiers but, through their bravery, a huge source of inspiration to us all. We wish both the ISSI and Pindar crew a successful and enjoyable regatta.’
The Artemis Challenge gets underway at 10am in Cowes on Tuesday July 5,
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