PRESS RELEASE:

FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA - 31st July 2002

A HOME TEAM JOINS THE ANTARCTICA CUP:

A team from Western Australia have reserved their place on the starting line of the Antarctica Cup, the US $6.4 million maxi-yacht race through the Southern Ocean, that starts and finishes in Fremantle.

Led by locally based, international business man Mark Rodoreda, the team are already in negotiations with a number of Western Australia's top sailors, and are very optimistic about support from the local business community.

Rodoreda was very enthusiastic about the home town entry, saying "we have so many great sailors in W.A., and they have to go overseas to get their international competition.

"It's going to be great to give them a chance to sail for W.A. in a major international race that starts and finishes in Fremantle."

Mark himself comes from a family with a long history of offshore sailing in Western Australia, and competed at international level back in the eighties, including five years on the Bob Williams' pocket maxi Freight Train, and as a trialist for the Australia II crew in '83.

In his business he is used to working with some of the world's best known sportsmen, Mark is an international consultant on turfgrass and horticultural matters, related to construction and design of golf courses and sportsfields.

His clients include most of the more prominent course architects such as Greg Norman, Graham Marsh, Gary Player and their design companies.

Bob Williams, the chairman of the Antarctica Cup, was clearly delighted that Western Australia was putting up an entry, and threw down the gauntlet to sailors from the east coast of the country.

"The Victorians are in, with Grant Wharington," he said, "and now Western Australia has an entry, what about the guys from Sydney and the rest of New South Wales, where are they?"

Talking about Mark Rodoreda, Williams added, "I can't think of anyone in W.A. more suited to take on this adventure, because Mark has such a long history of offshore racing, he could be regarded as one of the most respected veterans of Western Australian offshore racing."

One of Mark's other passions is flying, and he has held a recreational private pilot's licence for 25 years, with an advanced aerobatic endorsement, now the idea for the Antarctica Cup has sparked his imagination, and he wants to go and push the limits through the Southern Ocean.

The Antarctica Cup, which is scheduled to start in December 2004, will be raced in a fleet of up to fifteen 82 foot maxi turbo-sleds, and has already attracted entries from the United States, England, the Netherlands and Australia.

For further details contact:-

WA Southern Ocean Racing Syndicate
5 Hutton Street, Osborne Park
Western Australia 6017
Phone +61 8 9443 7100
Fax +61 8 9443 7101
Mobile +61 411 648 308
Email: markrod@symonds.net.au

Antarctica Cup contact:

Bob Williams: +61 (0) 413 057 559
John Longley: +61 (0) 42 720 1649
John Roberson: +44 (0) 781 124 8223

Or visit our website: www.antarcticacup.com

PRESS RELEASE:

FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA - 24th July 2002

HIGH MODULUS JOIN ANTARCTICA CUP CONSTRUCTION TEAM:

High Modulus, the highly respected New Zealand based composite engineering and materials supply company, have joined the team that will build the fleet of 82 foot yachts for the Antarctica Cup.

Up to fifteen of these maxi yachts will be built in the next two years, to a design by Ron Holland, and High Modulus will supply Western Australian superyacht builder, Oceanfast Yachts with materials, engineering advice and management programmes.

Talking about the specific problems of building fifteen identical boats of this size, Ron Gorter of High Modulus commented, "To meet these demands we have developed an innovative kit process that eliminates first-built and last-built issues and ensures all yachts will be created equal, and delivered on time.

"Our relationship with Ron Holland dates back to the ground breaking construction of the first fibreglass 12 Metres in 1985, for New Zealand's first challenge for the America's Cup."

High Modulus are currently working closely with Oceanfast, supplying engineering expertise for the sundeck superstructure, on golfer Greg Norman's 228 foot expedition yacht that is due to be launched later this year.

Oceanfast are very experienced in composite construction, having been building structures and complete yachts in these materials since 1988, and have a workforce of over fifty in their composite department.

High Modulus made their name in the sphere of high performance sailing boats, and are still at the cutting edge of competitive sailing, being the exclusive supplier of strategic composites & official supplier of technical services, to Team New Zealand for their America's Cup defence.

Bob Williams, chairman of the Antarctica Cup, is very pleased to have High Modulus on the team, "we really now have a great combination to ensure these turbo sleds that will blast around the Southern Ocean, will be built to the highest standards," he commented.

"Their practical understanding of design and construction clarified many issues for us, and the kitset solution they propose creates a 'boat in a box', so the competitors can take comfort in knowing that these boats will be engineered for the task, and identical like no other one-design to date."

The Antarctica Cup is the world's richest yacht race, with US $6.4 million in prize money, for a non-stop 14,500 mile dash around the bottom of the planet, starting and finishing in Fremantle, Western Australia.

For further information please contact:-
High Modulus International Ltd
Ph 64 9 4156262
Email rong@highmodulus.co.nz

PRESS RELEASE:

FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA - 18th June 2002

OCEANFAST TO BUILD MAXI YACHTS FOR ANTARCTICA CUP.

World renowned superyacht builder Oceanfast, part of the Austal group of companies, are to build the 25 metre maxi yachts that will contest the world's richest yacht race, The Antarctica Cup, which starts in December 2004.

Austal is a Western Australian company, based just south of Fremantle, and has a state-of-the-art boat building facility that is ideally suited to the construction of up to fifteen of these Ron Holland designed maxi yachts in the time-frame available.

Oceanfast have a worldwide reputation for building high quality luxury super yachts, with a client list that includes golfer Greg Norman, and the Sultan of Brunei.

The Antarctica Cup is a 14,500 nautical mile, non-stop, dash around the bottom of the planet, starting and finishing in Fremantle, and with a total of US$6.4 million in prize money.

John Rothwell, chairman of Austal Limited, is delighted that Oceanfast will make such a positive contribution to this international event, and commented.

"This innovative event will bring a very positive focus for Western Australia, and although these spectacular yachts will not represent a new product line for Oceanfast, we look forward to producing the yachts to the very high standard typical of Oceanfast's world-class motor yachts".

Fremantle businessman Bob Williams, who is the instigator and chairman of the Antarctica Cup said that awarding the contract to Oceanfast was a major step forward for the event.

"Having the boats built by Oceanfast, will give our competitors the confidence they need to take on the infamous Southern Ocean, and push themselves and their crews to the limits, in what promises to be one of the most exciting sailing races ever, involving national teams in fully crewed yachts."

The Antarctica Cup has already attracted high quality entries from the United States, Britain, the Netherlands and Australia, with further entries expected soon from Brazil, Denmark, France, New Zealand and Ireland.

Since the 18th Century the Antarctic region has fascinated mankind and inspired some of the world's most heroic exploration and sailing adventures. The Antarctica Cup hopes to further enhance this fascination whilst promoting the Port of Fremantle, Western Australia and Australia as one of the world's premier host venues for international yacht racing.

For further information contact:
Austal:
John Rothwell, Chairman, Austal Limited
Tel: +61 (0)8 9410 1111, Fax: +61 (0)8 9410 2564
OR
Claire Stannard, Public Relations
Tel: +61 (0)8 9410 1111, Fax: +61 (0)8 9410 2564
Email: pubrel@austal.com
"http://www.austal.com"
Antarctica Cup International Maxi-Yacht Race:
Bob Williams
Chairman
Antarctica Cup P/L
Tel: +61 (0) 8 9336 7543, Fax +61 8 (0) 9336 7541
Mobile +61 (0)413 057 559
Email: mrbob@iinet.net.au
John Longley: +61 (0) 42 720 1649
John Roberson: +44 (0) 781 124 8223
Or visit our website: www.antarcticacup.com

PRESS RELEASE:

FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA - 27th May 2002

BRITISH TEAM SIGN FOR ANTARCTICA CUP.

A British team have signed up for a place in the Antarctica Cup, bringing the number of entries in this "dash for cash" through the Southern Ocean to five, and adding one of the world's premier ocean racing nations to the line-up.

The team, Brit XL, is represented by John Quigley, who has been involved with offshore & ocean racing for a number years, and includes renowned British navigator Mike Broughton, and former BT Global Challenge skipper Manley Hopkinson.

John Quigley commented about Brit XL's ambitions, "our aim is to foster British excellence in offshore racing at an international level, this new race has appeared on the horizon, and it's interesting, so we're keen to get a British team involved."

Expanding on this theme John Quigley continued, "Brit XL sees the Antarctica Cup as an interesting and exciting formula.

"The boat concept seems to make a lot of commercial, and competitive sense just as long as they are quick, spectactular and challenging, not forgetting safe!"

Referring to the likely sailing team he added, "announcement of names will follow selection. In the meantime a number of our people are still under contract elsewhere."

Brit XL are building on the growing popularity of sailing in Britain, following the outstanding success of their team at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, and what sailors in Britain are calling the "Ellen factor", referring to the success of Ellen MacArthur.

"We've got some outstanding people," said Quigley, "and that is the key thing as far was we are concerned, if you take a step back and look, we've got some really top people, but they don't make quite as much noise as other nationalities."

The Antarctica Cup is scheduled to start from Fremantle, Western Australia, in December 2004, and is a non-stop race around Antarctica, with US$6.4 million in prize money, the most ever offered for a sailing race.

A fleet of identical Ron Holland designed 82 foot yachts is being built for the race.

PRESS RELEASE:

FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA - 8th May 2002

CAYARD, HEINER AND WHARINGTON BOOK ANTARCTICA RACE SLOTS.

Paul Cayard, Roy Heiner and Australia's Grant Wharington have all booked their places in the Antarctica Cup, with another American group wishing to remain anonymous at the moment.

Paul Cayard who won the last Whitbread Round the World Race, now the Volvo Ocean Race, and has sailed in four America's Cups, faxed his Race Slot Reservation Form to the Royal Perth Yacht Club earlier this week.

He was upbeat about his decision to enter, saying, "personally I like sailing down there, in the Southern Ocean, it's just the most awesome sailing that you can do."

He added, "I think it's an innovative format, with the different legs, and accummulation of points or prize-money along the individual legs, as well as an overall winner, I think that will add a lot of excitement into the race."

Roy Heiner, from the Netherlands, is also a former Whitbread Round the World race skipper, an Olympic medallist, and has been one of the world's top match racing skippers.

He commented about the race, "I really believe it's a fantastic concept, a fantastic event, and that's the way the sport should be going, so I'm going to do my bit to get the money to compete in this thing, I think it's brilliant."

Australian Grant Wharington, who has been a regular Sydney to Hobart race competitor in a string of boats called Wild Thing, and winner of the double-handed Melbourne to Osaka race will head the first Australian team.

He said of the new race, "I think the concept has very, very carefully been thought out, and I think full credit to the team of guys that have put it together."

Entries are also anticipated in the near future from Brazil, Ireland, Japan and England, with keen interest registered from New Zealand, France, Italy, Sweden and Denmark.

Scheduled to start from Fremantle in December 2004, the Antarctica Cup is a non-stop race around the Southern Ocean, leaving the three great capes, Leeuwin, Horn and Good Hope to port.

The race will be sailed in a fleet of identical Ron Holland designed 82 foot yachts, and there will be a total prize purse of US$6.4 million.

ANTARCTICA CUP NEWSLETTER No. 1 - 23/4/02

First reactions:

At Antarctica Cup headquarters here in Fremantle, we have been delighted and flattered by the reaction from around the world, to our announcement of our "dash for cash" through the Southern Ocean. Thanks to everyone who phoned us, e-mailed us, or joined in the bombardment of our website - www.antarcticacup.com.

The people who have contacted us have been many and varied from:-

The very experienced - "Sounds like fun! RKJ" Sir Robin Knox Johnston.

To the current generation of 'rock stars', - "Nice program. There is great interest to participate with a Brazilian entry. Congratulations, Torben Grael."

And from crew candidate Tim Smith from Australia "I'd love the opportunity to compete in this amazing race".

It hasn't only been the sailors and sailing media who have grasped the possibilities of this event. The electronic media have been beating a path to our door, recognising the potential for some intense and close racing, with plenty of opportunities for some dramatic coverage.

We have been thrilled at the way the message has been carried around the world, and translated into many different languages. The diversity of countries from which we have registered hits on the website has been like a geography lesson.

We can also monitor who has downloaded the notice of race from the website, and the list of big names and well known sailing teams and organisations, is very encouraging.

As well as the world-wide support, the encouragement we have received at home, both here in Western Australia, and from the whole of our great country has been very pleasing.

As with any new project, there are those who have studied fully what we are proposing, and have grasped the concept, while others have skimmed through it, or are trying to sound authoritative on hearsay evidence. Hence unfounded rumours and inaccurate stories can be generated.

There are a few major points about the Antarctica Cup that we would like to reiterate:-

*The entry fee is US $4,625,000. This buys the boat, and you can keep it.

*The prize money for the first boat across the finishing line is US $2,500,000

*The maximum that any one boat can win is US $4,650.000 - more than the entry fee.

*The boat are available two months before the start.

*The boat is being designed to have an active life after the race.

*The boat is a one design, high performance 82 footer from Ron Holland, fully equipped with carbon fibre mast, a comprehensive inventory of racing and training sails, plus a full suite of electronics.

*The only additional costs are crew, their airfares to and from Fremantle, accommodation in Fremantle during training, their clothing, and provisioning for the race.

*Potential entrants get the chance to have an input into the design of the boat at the Antarctica Cup Conference in Fremantle, in July.

*It costs nothing to book your slot to participate in the race, but there are only 15 slots, then the waiting list.

*The first payment of US $25,000 is due 21 days after the Antarctica Cup Conference.

*The races starts and finishes in Fremantle, and is non-stop.

*There are 11 legs, separated by gates, with US $100,000 skins prize for the shortest elapsed time on each leg.

*The race is expected to take about 45 days, and the whole campaign just four months.

In short this is a whole new concept, if you are interested please study the website in full, www.antarcticacup.com

WHAT WILL THE BOATS BE LIKE?

The design of the boats is still very much in the concept stage, and will not be finalized until after the Antarctica Cup Conference in July, when all interested parties will have a chance to discuss the project. However Ron Holland has given some indications of the way he is thinking, but says it is a refreshing change to find a race organiser seeking input from the competitors.

He says that, "one design opens up more interesting options than people immediately think," and while the aim is to produce a very fast maxi boat, he will be keeping in mind such things as safety factors, and the need for the boats to have a life after the race.

"This race is very much conditions specific," he commented, likening it to the Transpac. "The race to Honolulu is the only other race where you've got such a consistently predictable set of conditions that you are going to be sailing in."

On the subject of the general hull shape he says, "the experience with the turbo sleds in California, for the Honolulu race is pretty interesting. Those boats really, undoubtedly are the fastest down wind monohulls, and they gain a lot of it by being narrow, and I'm not sure if we want to be that extreme in beam/length ratio. In the Honolulu race they have proved over and over again that long, narrow, light boats are the fastest down wind.

"Our beam is probably not going to be as much as if it was an all round, normal ocean racing boat. I think the downwind influence might mean that we are fractionally narrower. The fact that the boats need to have a use after the race pulls you back into a non-extreme proportion boat."

Talking about how the one design format allows more latitude for safety and comfort than would be expected in a development style design race, he discussed freeboard and rudders.

"Maybe one key thing would be freeboard, I think we should go a little higher in the freeboard than is the convention at the moment, and I don't mean by much, but you'd err on slightly higher freeboard. Because, why not? When all the boats are the same, you're not trying to lower the centre of gravity by being lower with your deck than your competitor, which is the main reason to go low freeboard.

"This gives us less green water on deck, and a slightly more useable interior volume. I don't see any down side of that.

"Another example I think could be the design of the rudder, where in an open class, you are just paring away your rudder area to the bare minimum, because it's less drag than the guy next door to you with a bit bigger rudder. You've taken the risk of spinning out a little earlier than him, or gambling on having better helmsmen than your competitor has got, so that you don't spin out."

He added, "but when you look at the boat, it will look like a modern race boat. It's not going to be obvious when you are looking at it, that it's anything other than what the trend is at the moment for these fast, fairly light boats."

He echoed these sentiments with his thought on the rig, "I just see a fractional rigged boat, I don't see any reason not to follow a normal fractional rig, with pretty generous sail area, and I think the fun side of the thing also supports code zero type sails. I think that makes sense."

The interior he believes is an area of the design which will be strongly influenced by the conference to be held in July, and he has a very open mind on what the concensus will be. "As far as the interior is concerned, I'm going to be fascinated to see what the feed back is at the conference.

"In the extreme you might do a Swan style interior, made from lighter weight materials, but you could have a bit of teak trim, and make it look fairly yachtie. That is one possibility. We're talking about a difference in displacement that might equate to 4 or 500 kilos, whether you shift one way or the other. Whether it's just simple and clean as you can do, or whether you just give up a little displacement, and make it a step more user friendly inside."

So the rumours that have been spreading, that we are having thoughts of a BT Global Challenge, heavyweight style of boat, are completely unfounded. There is no doubt that a fast, exciting boat is the target.

Regards to all from the team at Antarctica Cup headquarters.

PRESS RELEASE:

FREMANTLE - 10th April 2002

ROYAL PERTH YACHT CLUB PUTS FREMANTLE BACK ON THE MAP, WITH RICHEST OCEAN RACE EVER.

Royal Perth Yacht Club burst back onto the international sailing scene today with the launch of a spectacular and innovative new ocean race, starting and finishing in Fremantle.

With a total prize purse of US $6.4 million, the race will pass the three notorious Capes, Leeuwin, Horn and Good Hope, to port, and take about 45 days, from a start in December 2004.

This will be a non-stop blast around the infamous Southern Ocean, sailed in identical 25 metre boats, with the winner taking US $2.5 million, and a "skins" type format making it possible for one boat to collect up to US $4.65 million

The organisers of the "Antarctica Cup" race will supply the boats, which are to be designed by Ron Holland, and built in Western Australia, with the entry fee for the event including the purchase price of the boat.

America's Cup winning sailor, and lifetime Fremantle resident, John Longley said about this new project, which is scheduled to happen every two years, "it is not often that a great idea corresponds with a great need.

"I am sure that everyone interested in long distance, blue water ocean racing will be captivated by the potential of this great race."

Although this is a non-stop ocean race, there will be eleven legs, each one starting and finishing with the fleet passing through a gate, either created with electronic waypoints, or a physical gate like Cook Strait, between North and South Islands, New Zealand.

Each leg will have prize money of US $100,000 for the fastest boat, which will not necessarily be the leading boat, and there will also be points scored, so there will be a points winner as well as a first across the finishing line winner.

The gates which divide the race into legs, are also an important safety feature, because they will prevent the fleet from straying too far south into dangerous iceberg territory.

This race will be open to yacht clubs around the world, which will represent their countries, boats will have to be skippered and crewed by nationals of the country they represent, making this very much a "nations cup" of blue water ocean racing.

The driving force behind this daring new concept is Fremantle identity Bob Williams, the former owner of the champion Australian basketball team, the Perth Wildcats, he was also one of Western Australia's most successful ocean racers in the eighties, with a pocket maxi called Freight Train.

He has gathered around him a team of international sailor, including John Longley, and Sir James Hardy, who will be patron of the race, to develop the concept.

Williams commented, "Fremantle is a place where every sailor in the world dreams of sailing, and now we are able to give the world's best sailors an opportunity to come back here and be a part of a totally new concept in ocean racing."

Talking about the boats he is designing for this unique race, Ron Holland said, "my aim has been to create a new design for this great race, that presents an exciting high performance platform, yet acknowledges the desirability of greater safety margins than would have been possible to achieve outside the one design concept."

The course will take the boats south from Fremantle to Cape Leeuwin, where they will turn left, and head across the Great Australian Bight, passing Cape Horn - which is almost exactly half way, then on to the Cape of Good Hope, before finishing back in Fremantle.

In recognition of the history of exploration in the southern hemisphere, each of the legs is named after a famous ship of boat connected with this part of the planet, including Endeavour and Cutty Sark, while the gates that seperate the legs will be named after sailors or explorers like Scott and Tabarly

For further details contact:
Royal Perth Yacht Club: +61 (0)8 9389 1754
Bob Williams: +61 (0) 413 057 559
John Longley: +61 (0) 42 720 1649
John Roberson: +61 (0) 407 476 462 Or visit our website: www.antarticacup.com

from John Roberson

Copyright © London Corinthian Sailing Club, 25 Jul 2002