Skandia confirms continued support of British sailing team
Britain¹s podium-topping sailors were today welcomed home to London, and to
the news that leading long-term investments provider Skandia has confirmed
its continued support of the British sailing team for the next four years.
L-R Paul Goodison, Sarah Webb, Pippa Wilson, Ben Ainslie, Sarah Ayton, Andrew Simpson, Bryony Shaw, Nick Rogers, Iain Percy and Joe Glanfield. Britain's podium-topping sailors were today welcomed home to London, and to the news that leading long-term investments provider Skandia has confirmed its continued support of the British sailing team for the next four years.
Skandia Team GBR, the British sailing team in the Olympic and Paralympic
Classes, was honoured at London County Hall, with Ben Ainslie, Sarah Ayton,
Sarah Webb, Pippa Wilson, Paul Goodison, Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson,
among those awarded keepsake trophies bespoke models of their own boats
from Skandia. A number of young sailors hoping to gain selection to compete
at London 2012 were also present.
Skandia Team GBR supports more than 70 sailors in the Royal Yachting
Association¹s World Class Performance and Development squads 18 of those
sailors were selected to represent Team GB at Beijing 2008, with a further
six chosen to compete at the Paralympics next month.
Skandia has a long history of sponsorship in the sport of sailing, having
sponsored Skandia Cowes Week for the past 14 years in addition to a number
of other sailing projects. Having announced title sponsorship of Britain¹s
national sailing team competing in the Olympic and Paralympic classes in
2006, Skandia have today confirmed the continuation of this support until
2013.
RYA Olympic Manager, Stephen Park commented: ³We are proud to arrive home
with our best ever result at an Olympic Regatta, and as the world¹s most
successful sailing nation.
³This success is not achieved overnight, but is the culmination of decades
of work. For the team, preparation for 2012, as it did for 2008, started
many years ago, and new challenges lie ahead as we prepare to compete on
home waters in Weymouth in four years¹ time.
³Other British sports have been keen to learn more about sailing¹s
performance programme, and how our Oback room team¹ structure works, with a
view to emulating the year-on-year success of Skandia Team GBR in other
disciplines.²
Iain Percy commented: ³The sporting success of Skandia Team GBR is dependent
upon many factors. Talent alone isn¹t enough these days, you need a good
support network behind you, from logistics to physiotherapists,
nutritionists to psychologists, Skandia Team GBR relies on a vast team of
specialists in all fields to support us whilst we are on the water wherever
we are in the world. Of course, much of this would not be possible without
the support of the RYA and of our team title sponsors, Skandia.²
Giles Elliott, Skandia¹s Marketing Director spoke at the event: ³Skandia is
delighted to have played its part in the phenomenal success of the British
sailors in China. Our support of the sailors goes back to 2002, when we
first became Iain Percy¹s long-term personal sponsor. Since then we have
become personal sponsor of Bryony Shaw as well as of the team as a whole
the world¹s most successful sailing team. This team has achieved success
after success and I¹m delighted to confirm that Skandia will continue to
support the British sailing team in the Olympic and Paralympic classes over
the next four years, when their hard work will continue to create further
triumph on home waters.²
The trophies presented by Skandia to the Olympic medallists, are bespoke
model boats, hand crafted by Astins of Somerset.
