Andrew Mills, Director of Corporate Affairs Kingfisher plc announcing new 5 year sponsorship with Ellen MacArthur. Photo by Mark Pepper / Marinepics

Andrew Mills, Director of Corporate Affairs Kingfisher plc announcing new 5 year sponsorship with Ellen MacArthur. Photo by Mark Pepper / Marinepics



Kingfisher plc, a leading international retailer for the home, announced today at the London Boat Show that it would be continuing it's sponsorship of Ellen MacArthur MBE with a new five-year title sponsorship deal.

Ellen MacArthur and Nick Moloney. Photo by Jacques Vapillon

Ellen MacArthur and Nick Moloney. Photo by Jacques Vapillon



Key objectives of the sponsorship for Kingfisher are to build familiarity of the Kingfisher brand with its international audiences and to create an association between the Kingfisher corporate brand and its operating companies which include B&Q and Comet in the UK

Andrew Mills, Director of Corporate Affairs, explained the compelling reasons for continuing this relationship: "Ellen's remarkable achievements over the last three years have exceeded all our expectations. We strongly believe that Ellen represents the qualities we value highly as a company - determination, skill and professionalism, combined with the ambition and ability to succeed. She is a constant inspiration to our 90,000+ employees around the globe, and we see parallels between her international ambition and our own. We are delighted to continue to support Ellen through the highs-and-lows of racing across the oceans."

Ellen being presented the FICO LaCoste Offshore Sailing Skippers World Championship trophy by Pierre Fehlmann, President of FICO. Photo by Mark Pepper / Marinepics

Ellen being presented the FICO LaCoste Offshore Sailing Skippers World Championship trophy by Pierre Fehlmann, President of FICO. Photo by Mark Pepper / Marinepics



Well-known for her success as a single-handed yachtswoman, Ellen's achievements were recently celebrated at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award; however despite being sandwiched between two celebrity goal-scorers, Beckham and Owen, Ellen remains committed to her own personal sailing goals!

Ellen has enjoyed a winning association with Kingfisher plc since November 1998, and is delighted that the international home retail group will continue to back her for the next five years.

Kingfisher branded mega cat : Winter 2002/3, the plan is to attack the Jules Verne record in one of the mega-cats that were designed for The Race. Photo by Thierry Martinez

Kingfisher branded mega cat : Winter 2002/3, the plan is to attack the Jules Verne record in one of the mega-cats that were designed for The Race. Photo by Thierry Martinez



Ellen believes that she still has much to learn and is looking forward to the challenges ahead: "I intend to use the next few years to expand my knowledge and experience, both technically, personally and as part of the team. As my objectives remain focused on the multihull circuit, I do not plan to compete in the 2004 Vendee Globe, it's a tough race to do twice in a row. However that does not mean that I have ruled it out for the future!"

Before her shift to multihulls, Ellen will race her beloved monohull Kingfisher in possibly the boat's last serious solo race with Ellen at the helm — the 2002 Route du Rhum. This is a 3,000-mile transatlantic race against the world's best sailors and is France's biggest sailing event outside of the Vendee Globe, the solo round-the-word race that put Ellen and Kingfisher on the map.

The Southern Ocean will follow next Winter - this time as part of a team - with Ellen and a 12-strong crew bidding for the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest boat around the globe, in any sailing vessel with an unspecified number of crew members. The current record is 71 days, 14 hours, 22 mins and 8 seconds.

The programme will then build towards the ultimate trophy of success in the trimaran division of the 2006 Route du Rhum with a new 3-hulled 'Kingfisher' launched during 2005.

Offshore Challenges Sailing Team Program for 2002


Feb - April : Ellen completes her book, "Taking on the World" for publication in the Autumn. Nick Moloney, key part of the sailing team, will compete with Bruno Peyron on his Jules Verne attempt.

April 25 - 28 : Ellen crews for Alain Gautier on the new 'Foncia' in first ORMA multihull Grand Prix, Atlantic coast.

May 1 -4 : 'Kingfisher' monohull races IMOCA Grand Prix Larmor Plage.

May 12 : 'Kingfisher' monohull races La Regatta de Rubicon, 3000 mile IMOCA race France-Canaries-Italy.

May 20 : Ellen returns to France to race with Alain on Foncia in the 'Course des Phares' (Lighthouse race) from Calais-Calais.

June / July : Solo training on 'Kingfisher' monohull.

Aug - Dec : Work-up Jules Verne boat, possible record attempts in the Atlantic.

Nov 10 : Route du Rhum solo transatlantic race on 'Kingfisher' monohull.

2003


Jan - April : Possible Jules Verne round world record attempt [currently 71 days, 14 hours, 22 mins, 8 seconds] on existing maxi catamaran, 'Kingfisher2'.

May - Oct : Open 60 trimaran ORMA season with Alain Gautier culminating in the Transat Jacques Vabre, once again Le Havre (France) - Salvador (Brazil) in November. Plus racing on 'Kingfisher' monohull, on the IMOCA circuit with the Offshore Challenges Sailing Team.

2004-2006


Building towards 2005 launch of new 60 foot trimaran 'Kingfisher3', and full entry of the ORMA circuit, culminating with the Route du Rhum in November 2006.