The Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team has just announced its first major sponsor for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011/2012, luxury Swiss watchmakers IWC Schaffhausen.

In agreement with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), the exciting deal will represent the Swiss brand’s first foray into global team sport sponsorship and will run through the entire Volvo Ocean Race campaign which kicks off on October 29 in Alicante, Spain and visits nine countries, including the UAE’s capital on New Year’s Day 2012 and ending in Galway, Ireland in July 2012.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s new partner will support the team in their pursuit of top honours in the 39,000-nautical-mile round-the-world race, widely regarded as the ‘Everest of Sailing’. The IWC Schaffhausen logo will also be featured on the team’s new Volvo Open 70 racing yacht, which launches next month.

The crew of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, the first Arabian challenger in the 37-year history of the Volvo Ocean Race, is undergoing final training, having spent the winter in the UAE capital. Over the last few months, they have followed an intense preparation schedule around the globe, including weather training in the US, wind-tunnel sail testing in New Zealand, race practice in the UK and Hong Kong, as well as mast construction in Spain.

The 11-strong team, skippered by double-Olympic medallist, Ian Walker of Great Britain, will receive its new state-of-the-art racing yacht at the end of this month. It was designed by Farr in the USA and is being built in Northern Italy by Persico S.p.A. The team will then undertake a rigorous Atlantic Ocean sailing programme before heading to the race start in Spain in October.

ADTA is planning to stage a fortnight-long, emirate-wide celebration to mark the Volvo Ocean Race arrival in Abu Dhabi from January 1 until January 14. Activities will include headline concerts, interactive race villages for the whole family and great holiday packages across Abu Dhabi’s 4- and 5-star resorts.

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