Wednesday, November 10, 2009

Torben Grael, the skipper of Ericsson 4, the race winning entry in
the Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09, has been named the ISAF Rolex World
Sailor of the Year.

The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award is the highest award a
sailor can receive in recognition of his outstanding achievements.
The Awards are presented annually based on a worldwide selection
process that incorporates an open invitation to nominations, followed
by a vote amongst the 130 member nations of the International Sailing
Federation (ISAF).

In an emotional winning speech, Torben commented, "It's an honor to
be here. It's not the first time I've attended this award ceremony,
but it's truly a different feeling to stand here," he said, from
behind the podium. "I am very thankful, and to be here I represent
not only myself but all the people who helped me run my campaigns:
the sailors, my family, my parents, my wife, the company Ericsson. It
has been a fantastic year and it was a fantastic [Volvo Ocean] Race.
This year has made me aware of some feelings I am not used to."

This was the fourth time that the five-time Olympic medalist had been
nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award and
winning the award is the icing on the cake on an impressive year for
the Brazilian:

"Ericsson 4 not only won the 08/09 Volvo Ocean Race and broke the
world 24 hour monohull record on the way, almost reaching the 600
mile barrier. But I was also runner up at the Rolex Ilhabela Sailing
Week, Cowes Week, the Rolex Fastnet Race and finished third at the
Rolex Maxi Worlds in Porto Cervo," he added.

The Trophy was presented to Torben by HRH Prince Frederik of Denmark
and Lionel Schurh, Rolex Geneva at a spectacular Awards Ceremony at
Busan in South Korea.

Ends

Note to editors:
Ericsson 4 was one of the two-boat Ericsson Racing Team. Skippered by
Torben Grael with an international crew, Ericsson 4 made a massive
impression on the race. The statistics speak for themselves and after
ten legs, Grael had led Ericsson 4 to the podium in eight of them and
of those, five were at the top. Ericsson 4 was also in the top three
at all seven offshore scoring gates and on the podium for three of
the seven in-port races, Grael's team accrued a total of 114.5 points
which represents 84% of the total points available. The team was
unbeatable for the final leg and they crossed the finish line in St
Petersburg with a nine-point lead.
The teams secret to success is in the intensive training, the
innovative boats and the solidity of the Ericsson 4 team. The only
boat in the race not to make changes to their crew list, the tough
competition and new race route meant a consistent performance
throughout was essential. After nine months and nearly 40,000
nautical miles of racing, Ericsson 4 was the undisputed winner of the
Volvo Ocean Race 2009-2009.
With five Olympic medals under his belt, multiple world championship
titles and a Louis Vuitton Cup, Torben Grael is a true world class
competitor at every level of the sport and it was not long into leg
one that his team made their mark on the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009.
On 29 October, Ericsson 4 entered the record books claiming the
24hour Monohull World Record sailing a phenomenal 596.6nm, an average
speed of 24.85 knots.
The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards have been held every
year since 1994 and past winners include Peter Blake (NZL), Ellen
MacArthur (GBR), Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Russell Coutts (SUI). In
2008 the Awards were presented to four-time Olympic medal winners Ben
Ainslie (GBR) and Alessandra Sensini (ITA).

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