Friday, August 17, 2012

MOD70 / The European Tour comes to Dun Laoghaire, 05- 09 September

Dun Laoghaire will play host to sailing’s most exciting new global sailing championship series when the MOD70 European Tour visits from Wednesday 5th September to Sunday 9th September. Ireland has hosted most of the world’s top sailing events during 2012 and the hosting of this new series undoubtedly proves Ireland as one of the best sailing locations in the world.

Credit : MOD SA

The MOD70s - Race For Water, FONCIA, Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, Spindrift racing and Musandam Oman Sail - will be hosted by the National Yacht Club and Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company and a 5 day family festival will be held on the East Pier to celebrate the arrival of the most innovative racing trimarans in the world. The festival will include food courts, farmers market, fairtrade &ethnic stalls, craft stalls, street entertainers and vintage amusements. On Friday 07 September and Saturday 08 September the MOD70s will be competing in Dublin Bay in the Dublin City Race and Speed Match Races and there will be live commentary from the East Pier. The trimarans will leave Dun Laoghaire at 3pm for the start of the second leg of the European Tour from Dun Laoghaire to Cascais.

Commenting on today’s announcement Gerry Dunne CEO, Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company stated. ‘We are delighted to welcome the world’s most innovative trimarans to Dun Laoghaire Harbour which has witnessed 200 years of maritime history. 1.4 million people walk the East Pier on an annual basis and we hope that the hosting of this global event will attract many more people to our beautiful harbour in September’

The MOD70 European Tour starts in Kiel, Germany, then Dublin, to Cascais by Lisbon, Portugal to Marseille, France to a finish in Genoa, Italy. Over the five weeks total duration of the MOD70 European Tour the teams will sail nearly 5000 miles over five offshore stages.

The MOD70 European Tour is the second event of the Multi One Championship, following on from July’s inaugural KRYS OCEAN RACE which saw the MOD70’s race the Atlantic from New York to Brest, France at remarkable speeds. The first three boats finished within less than two hours after traversing the Atlantic in less than five days with the winning boat making more than 711 miles in one 24 hours period.

Already the MOD70 fleet has attracted a cross section of some of the best ocean racing sailors in the world. Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) has twice won the Vendée Globe solo round the world race and skippers FONCIA. There are more than eight sailors across the different boats who hold round the world records including Britain’s Brian Thompson who sails in Musandam-Oman Sail.

Thompson has more than 20 offshore sailing speed records to his name and was the only Briton on board Banque Populaire V when the giant multihull set a new record for sailing non stop around the world in January.

Marco Simeoni, President of MOD SA commented: ‘The second stage of the MOD70 European Tour is hosted by the National Yacht Club and Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, who will host a lively public festival to welcome the fleet of MOD70s. Local knowledge & local expertise in hosting worldclass sailing events is widely appreciated. We thank all the institutions involved in this stop over and we look forward to spending five wonderful days in the heart of the local culture. Sports and entertainment is guaranteed in the Dublin Bay from the 5th to 9th of September!’

From : MOD