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GERMANY. Puma has been going full sail ever since it officially entered the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009, a gruelling nine-month yacht race that covers 37,000 nautical miles across four continents.
Formerly known as the Whitbread Around-the-World Race, the Volvo Ocean Race is said to be one of the most challenging and extreme events in the sailing world. Often referred to as the “˜Everest of Sailing’, this year’s race began in Alicante, Spain in October and will involve stopovers in ten countries before concluding in St Petersburg, Russia in June 2009.
“The Volvo Ocean Race is an incredible test of endurance, skill, technology and teamwork and it very much mirrors the core values of our company: passion, self-belief and entrepreneurship,” said Puma Chairman and CEO Jochen Zeitz.
“We took the decision to enter the race under Phase IV of our corporate strategy, defined by expansion and investment into new product categories. As the world’s leading sport lifestyle brand, Puma believes sailing is the perfect blend of sport and lifestyle and the Volvo Ocean Race is the ideal platform to bring Puma into the sport of sailing. Through our boat, our team and activities surrounding this exciting race, we look to extend our brand awareness and visibility worldwide.”
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(Clockwise from top left) Puma Ocean Racing Skipper Ken Read; Puma’s imposing il mostro – “˜the monster’ in Italian; an incredible view of the teams’ colourful sails as they go head to head; the Puma Ocean Racing team navigates the treacherous waters (Credit: Sally Collison/Puma Ocean Racing and Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race) |
The Puma Ocean Racing team, helmed by Skipper Ken Read, is currently in Cochin, India, having completed the second leg of the race from Cape Town, South Africa. Four boats including Puma’s il mostro crossed the finish line in Cochin within a matter of minutes on 1 December.
Finishing the 4,450 nautical mile leg at 17.52 local time (12.22 GMT), Puma arrived in fifth place, 22 minutes behind Spanish entry Telefonica Black. The Dutch team Delta Lloyd followed, crossing the line just seven minutes after Puma, with Green Dragon shortly behind. Puma currently stands in third place overall in the Volvo Ocean Race.
The team has begun its final preparations for the start of the third leg, which begins at 1400 local (0830 GMT) on Saturday, 13 December. This 1,950 nautical mile leg will conclude in Singapore, where the team is scheduled to land just days before Christmas. The Volvo Ocean Race is made up of ten legs, finishing in June 2009 in St Petersburg, Russia.
By joining the race, Puma has entered a new premium category and is the only sports lifestyle company to participate in this year’s race. Other teams include Ericsson Racing Team (representing Swedish telecommunication provider Ericsson), Equipo Telefonica (Spanish telecommunication company Telefónica), Green Dragon Racing Team (part of the Let’s Do It Global not-for-profit organisation), Team Delta Lloyd (Dutch insurer the Delta Lloyd Group) and Team Russia (founded by Oleg Zherebtsov, who set up the Lenta hypermarket chain in Russia).
Besides building its brand visibility, Puma hopes to target new markets. “As the leading global sport lifestyle brand and official provider of Volvo Ocean Race apparel, we hope to bring new and fashionable consumers into the sport of sailing ands introduce new fans to the Volvo Ocean Race itself through our global reach,” said Zeitz.
“Our introduction of the first Puma Sailing collection in 2008, including a performance line and sailing-inspired lifestyle products, was the first step in reaching new consumers.”
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The Puma Sailing Performance collection is specially designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the race | |
THE PUMA SAILING COLLECTION
Puma Sailing Performance Collection
Developed and tested with the team itself, this collection will be worn by the Puma Ocean Racing team throughout the entire race. The gear is designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the race, from the icy temperatures of the Southern Ocean to the tropical climates of India and Brazil, the company said.
“We are repeating the formula we used in our successful motorsport line,” said Puma AG Chief Marketing Officer Antonio Bertone. “We developed performance wear for our Formula 1 races that gave us entry into the sport. From that we created a lifestyle line for the general consumer.”
Available globally at marine specialty and select Puma stores, the collection features sailing apparel suitable for all weather conditions and all types of layering with an outer shell, mid-layer and base layer items.
Puma Sailing Collection
This lifestyle collection is designed for both the recreational sailors and “the urban dweller who dreams of the sea”. Taking into account the real-life needs of sailors, the line stays true to the technical aspects of the sport while reinventing traditional silhouettes and styles.
Volvo Ocean Race Merchandise
Puma is the official supplier of the Volvo Ocean Race branded merchandise for this edition of the race. The collection’s main theme, which positions sailing as not just a sport but a life attitude, is supported by “˜Life at the Extreme’ branding. It will be available at select Puma stores, marine specialty shops and at the in-port race villages during the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009.
For more information about the race, team and the Puma Sailing collections, visit www.pumaoceanracing.com.
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The Puma Sailing lifestyle collection is created for the recreational sailors and “the urban dweller who dreams of the sea” | |
ABOUT PUMA
Established in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1948, Puma is a global sport lifestyle company that aims to fuse influences from sport, lifestyle and fashion. It distributes products including footwear, apparel and accessories in over 80 countries. Visit www.puma.com.
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