Indiantelevision.com Team

(31 March 2007 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Footwear manufacturer Puma will enter the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 with its own boat. In addition, Puma will be the official supplier and the official licensee of replica merchandise for the world's premier offshore ocean race.

The race, known as the Everest of Sailing, will begin in October 2008 in Alicante, Spain and will end in June 2009 in the Baltic. By joining the race, Puma has entered a new premium category and is the first sports lifestyle company to participate in a venture of this kind.

Puma CEO and chairman Jochen Zeitz says, "We are thrilled to announce Puma's entry into the Volvo Ocean Race - one of the world's iconic sporting events. Its global reach, lifestyle appeal and true sporting characteristics match the Puma brand perfectly and provide Pmua with exciting new opportunities to make a strong mark in the world of sailing, on and off the water.

"This continues our strategy outlined in Phase IV of our long-term plan to expand into new product categories and explore the potential of the brand."

Volvo Ocean Race CEO Glenn Bourke welcomed PUMA's involvement in the race. He says, "Obviously I am delighted for the Volvo Ocean Race that a company with such global gravitas as Puma has decided to come on board.

"What I am most pleased about is that a big consumer brand sees the race as a viable mechanism for promoting its brand and showcasing its products. This race is hugely demanding psychologically, physically and emotionally on everybody involved in it and we are confident that our new partner Puma has what it takes to support the racers with high quality and innovative sports lifestyle products."

The Puma racing team will be skippered by Ken Read. Read has twice helmed America's Cup programs in 2000 and 2003.

He says, "Running and skippering a Volvo Ocean Race program is a dream come true. I'm very proud to be part of the Puma Racing Team and to take the lead in this new and exciting venture with them. I believe that Puma is the type of company that the sailing world needs, which can think outside the box and deliver this sport to an entirely new group of consumers. It is going to be an incredible journey for all of us."

The entry into competitive sailing extends Puma's focus into premium lifestyle sports - a category Puma has forged through its Formula 1 partnerships, motor sports collaborations such as Ducati, and the launch of a Sports lifestyle golf collection in 2006.

Through this latest venture, Puma states that it continues its growth plan by entering yet another premium category. It is expected to launch the first collection in mid 2008. However, Puma's engagement will require initial investments already beginning this year.

The around-the-world yacht race blends state-of-the-art design and technology, elite sporting performance and extreme adventure into one global event.

The race takes approximately nine months to complete, covers 39,000 nautical miles in challenging and often dangerous waters, and is broken into 11 separate legs. The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 challenge will have at least 12 ports of call, including ports in India, Middle East and Asia - places never before visited in race history.