BRASIL 1  -     THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE 2005-2006

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The design, with 3-D images, was revealed in May of 2005 at the opening of the Rio Boat Show, the largest boating exhibit in Latin America. A scale model of the boat was presented, impressive for sheer size, measuring 1.17 metres in length and, including the sails, almost 2 metres in height.

The look was developed to emphasize the team's Brazilian identity, without specifically using national symbols. The logo design consists of a yellow diamond shape, also found on the Brazilian flag, and, to enhance the connection with water, water drops form the outline of the logo, a shape that reflects energy and movement. The visual identity, including the brand Brasil 1 and the graphic design were developed by GAD'DESIGN, one of the largest graphic design companies in Brazil.

 



 

New sponsors

 

The Brasil 1 project grows to even more world-sized proportions and has gained two heavyweight supporters in NIVEA Sun and ThyssenKrupp, which are present in most of the world's markets.

 

ThyssenKrupp with sales of 39 billion euros and 184,000 employees in over 70 countries is one of the world's major technology groups and occupies excellent positions on the international markets. The three main business areas of steel, capital goods and services, are organised in five segments - Steel, Automotive, Elevator, Technologies and Services and mark out the group's areas of competence.

 

Relations between ThyssenKrupp and Brazil go back a long way. Brazil is ThyssenKrupp's number one market in South America and is represented by 24 companies and almost 9,000 employees. . Most of the activities are in the Automotive and Elevator segments. Relations with Brazil are currently being strengthened further by ThyssenKrupp's plans to build a new steel mill in Sepetiba with a capacity of 4.4 million metric tons of crude steel. The first slab is scheduled to be produced in 2008.

 

NIVEA SUN, the top selling sunscreen in the world, has become a partner of Brazilian sailing. Besides promoting the NIVEA Sun Match Cup, a female sailing tournament which takes place during the Match Race Brasil regatta, it also supports the Rota Boreal project of Beto Pandiani, and the Olympic campaign of sailors Adriana Kostiw (unbeaten in 2005 in the Laser Radial class), Fernanda Oliveira and Isabel Swan, who together compete in the 470 class.

 

The companies come onboard as Silver Sponsors and join Master Sponsor VIVO, Gold Sponsors Motorola and QUALCOMM, and the Brazilian Government, represented by Apex (Agency for the Promotion of Brazilian exports).

 

 

 

Brasil 1 team

 

 

Construction enters final stage

 

This week, the construction of Brasil 1 has entered its final stages. The deck and hull were finally joined and sealed together.

 

Former Star world-champion and director of the project, Alan Adler, is following the construction very closely. "We are now starting to put together the equipment which we will use during the race. A team of technicians is heading to the shipyard in Indaiatuba to install the engine, the generator, the desalinator, and other equipment," explains Adler. In addition to the electrical installations and electronic equipment, the team will build a hydraulic system, which moves the canting keel. "This is the most sensitive part of the boat," says Adler.

 

"This is the most modern sailing boat ever built in Brazil. Construction techniques in carbon fibre and all the other materials used are new to Brazil. In addition, a large part of what is used in this process consists of imported advanced technology and can't be found here," says Horácio Carabelli, the technical coordinator of the project and one of Brazil's most renowned boat designers.

 

 


 

 

The team, which will sail Brasil 1 in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06, was completed in January

2005.  Six new sailors were announced, ending a selection process that started in September 2004. The sailing team features crew from Brazil, Spain, Australia, Norway and New Zealand.

 

 

 

Skipper - Torben Grael

 

 

Skipper Torben Grael will have a crew of four Brazilians, two Spaniards, two Australians, one Norwegian and one New Zealander. Guillermo Altadill and Roberto "Chunny" Bermudez are from Spain. Adrianne Cahalan - so far the only women to be sailing in the event this time - and Justin Clougher are Australians. Knut Frostad is from Norway and Stuart Wilson is from New Zealand. From Brazil, Grael selected Marcelo Ferreira, João Signorini, Kiko Pellicano and André Fonseca. Herve lê Quilliec from France was appointed as shore manager.

 

 

Guillermo Altadill

 


"I'm really happy with our crew. In the first meeting, everyone got together really well, which is a very important aspect for a round the world race. We have a mix of youth, potential and experience", Grael said.

 

 

 

Roberto "Chunny" Bermudez

 

 

The most experienced sailor in the crew is Spaniard Guillermo Altadill. He has more than 330,000 nautical miles in competitive sailing, six round the world races and has crossed the Atlantic 18 times. He was second in the last Volvo Ocean Race onboard Assa Abloy. "I only accepted to be a part of Brasil 1 because I think we can win the race. I have huge experience in this race, but I have never won it. This time I want to win. Besides, I consider Torben Grael the most complete sailor in world," Altadill explained.

 

 

Stuart Wilson


Adrianne Cahalan, the only women in the crew, will be Brasil 1's navigator. She was nominated for the World Yachtswoman of the Year four times and was the first women to have broken the record for the fastest time around the world in any type of boat. She was the navigator onboard Cheyenne, the 125ft maxi catamaran that broke the Round the World Speed Record on 5 April 2004 in 58 days, 9 hours, 32 minutes and 45 seconds.

 

 

 

Adrianne Cahalan

 

 


Training starts in June and Torben Grael plans to include Ilhabela Sailing Week, one of the most prestigious in Brazil, in the training schedule.

 


Construction

Brasil 1, the first Brazilian built boat in Volvo Ocean Race, is designed by Farr Yacht Design and is being built in Indaiatuba, São Paulo. Knut Frostad, skipper of Djuice Dragons in the last Volvo Race, was the responsible for choosing the designers. Frostad is an advisor and sailor for the Brazilian project.

"I pushed for Farr Yacht Design because we did not have much time to develop the boat. In the last race, Djuice was the only non-Farr boat in the race. Although in some situations we were fast, in others we were really slow. Farr has a conservative approach and is always a safe approach", Frostad explained.

Boat construction started in October, with 20 workers. Now, Marco Landi, the boat builder, has added 10 more to the construction team, among them two New Zealanders. The deck and the hull are in the final stage of lamination.

 

 

 


 

7 BOATS SEPTEMBER 2005 START ............... HOW MANY WILL COMPLETE

 

 

 

 

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