- Land Rover partners with Great Britain's Ben Ainslie Racing in bid to win the 35th America's Cup in 2017
- Engineers from Jaguar Land Rover to support the project with advanced technology expertise
- Team Land Rover BAR announced at the home of Ben Ainslie Racing in Portsmouth
Whitley, UK, 24 June 2015 ‑ Land Rover has announced a global partnership with Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) ahead of its challenge for the 35th America's Cup in 2017. As Title Partner and Exclusive Innovation Partner, Land Rover will work closely over the next two years with the BAR design and engineering teams. Together the teams will help deliver a winning combination of advanced engineering and innovative technologies in their bid to bring the oldest sporting trophy in the world home to Britain, the place where it all started with a race around the Isle of Wight in 1851.
The Jaguar Land Rover advanced engineering team has already started to work with BAR and together have identified a number of projects where tangible performance gains can be explored to create the competitive edge required to win the America's Cup.
The new team, named Land Rover BAR, was announced today at the home of Ben Ainslie Racing in Portsmouth, UK. The team will compete in the America's Cup beginning with the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series (Portsmouth) event 24 ‑ 26 July 2015 in Portsmouth and culminating in the Louis Vuitton Qualifiers America's Cup and Playoffs in Bermuda June 2017 in order to reach the America's Cup Match in June 2017.
The rules for the campaign state that all challenging teams will sail America's Cup Class foiling multihull boats with no engine to work the foiling hydraulics. The crew of just six sailors, who will weigh no more than 525kg between them, will use pure human power to adjust the hydrofoils and wing sail.
Mark Cameron, Jaguar Land Rover Global Experiential Marketing Director said: "At Land Rover we have a long history in sailing. This incredible partnership with BAR has given us the opportunity to showcase our world class expertise in advanced engineering and innovative technologies which lie at the heart of everything Land Rover does. Yes we make all terrain vehicles, but we will make a real difference to the performance of the Land Rover BAR team and we will help create the fastest boat possible in the hope of bringing America's Cup to the UK for the first time."
Ben Ainslie, Team Principal of Land Rover BAR said: "We are delighted to have Land Rover as our Title Partner and Exclusive Innovation Partner. A great British brand, but also a fantastic engineering and technology company who will work hand in hand with our design and engineering team. Together we will develop race‑winning technology for our America's Cup Class boat."
The team's new home has been built to *BREEAM Excellent standards, a purpose‑built facility housing all of the team's activities from design to sailing, sports science to marketing ‑ a showcase for sport, innovation, technology and sustainability in the heart of Portsmouth.
Both Land Rover and BAR are part of the GREAT Campaign, the Government's initiative that showcases the very best of what Great Britain has to offer. There is a shared desire to build a strong legacy through education, training, participation and innovation projects for future generations.
ENDS
For further information log onto www.uk.media.landrover.com or contact:
Kim Palmer
Public Relations
Manager, Land Rover UK
T: 02476
564 129
M: 07795
666 169
E:
kpalmer@landrover.com
Tracey
Tompsett
Senior
Press Officer, Land Rover UK
T: 02476
565 210
M: 07469
032 064
E:
ttompset@landrover.com
Jessica
Rumboll
Press
Officer, Land Rover UK
T: 02476
564 258
M: 07880
177 300
E:
jrumboll@landrover.com
Rights free broadcast‑quality video content and imagery from the day will be available to download at the following link: http://www.broadcast.jaguarlandrover.com/stories/9258
A video
wrap‑up of the activity is available to view here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tki0LL3mQtE&feature=youtu.be
Editors Notes:
Land Rover
‑ Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true 'breadth of capability' across the model range. Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's 4x4 sectors with 80% of this model range exported to over 170 countries.
Land Rover BAR
‑ Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) was launched on June 10th 2014 in the presence of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge. The team was conceived by four times Olympic gold medalist and 34th America's Cup winner, Sir Ben Ainslie, with the long‑term aim of challenging for Britain and bringing the America's Cup back home to where it all began in 1851. Ben has developed and will lead a British entry capable of winning the prestigious trophy, something Britain has so far never managed to achieve.
‑ Land Rover BAR is a commercial sporting team, with a number of individual private investors alongside corporate partners. The team is made up of some of the best British and international sailors, designers, builders and racing support.
‑ The team are constructing a new headquarters in the centre of Portsmouth, the 75,000 sq ft. building will not only house all the team's activities, but will welcome the public into a Visitor Centre hosted by the 1851 Trust. The Trust is the team's official charity, and HRH The Duchess of Cambridge is its Royal Patron.
‑ Portsmouth will also host two Louis Vitton America's Cup World Series events during the summers of 2015 and 2016, The first will be on the weekend of 24‑26th July. Up to 500,000 visitors are expected to come and watch the racing, enjoy the festivities, and cheer for the home team.
‑ www.landroverbar.com #bringthecuphome
*BREEAM sets the standard for best practice in sustainable building design, construction and operation and has become one of the most comprehensive and widely recognised measures of a building's environmental performance. It encourages designers, clients and others to think about low carbon and low impact design, minimising the energy demands created by a building before considering energy efficiency and low carbon technologies.
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