Skandia aims to break sailing record

Team Skandia Sets Sail to Reclaim Transatlantic Record Skandia aims to break the transatlantic sailing record of eight days, 23 hours, 59 minutes and 43 seconds. The record was set in October 1998 by the Mari-Cha III, a 145-foot French sailing yacht. Skandia, launched in Cape Town in December 1999, will depart from Amrose Lighthouse, near New York City, in April en route to Lizard Point Lighthouse in Southwest England. This is the same route the S.S. Titanic traveled in 1912 when it attempted to set the same record. Skandia, a 79-foot monohull built in carbon fiber on a foam core, is the world's first IR2000/IRC maxi. It was designed by Simonis/Voogd and built by Concept Yachts cc in Cape Town. The vessel's international team of 16 crew members will be led by Swedish Skipper Ludde Ingvall, who held the record before the Mari-Cha III. The record was undefeated for 92 years before Ingvall's record-breaking journey. Ingvall has sailed in two Whitbread Round the World Races and has won the Fastnet Race twice. He has also crossed the Atlantic 12 times under sail and has been a professional skipper of 72- to 85-foot yachts since 1988. "My goal is to sail across one of the most hazardous seas in the world to establish the best transatlantic record- and to also challenge the current 24-hour speed record for monohulls," said Ingvall. "We have a great crew and a great vessel, and now it's time for us to win the record back and perhaps even set a new one in the 24-hour speed category." "Team Skandia's skill, enthusiasm and motivation represent the values and attitude that are important to all Skandia employees worldwide," said Jan R. Carendi, Deputy CEO of Skandia and CEO of American Skandia. "The team's commitment to its transatlantic journey reflects the commitment all Skandia employees share in the delivery of professional services to our clients across the globe." Following the voyage, Skandia will tour port cities throughout Europe, sponsoring the Skandia Insurance Company, Ltd. brand. Skandia Insurance Company, Ltd is a global asset gathering and asset management group with approximately $95 billion in assets under management and annual sales in excess of $15 billion. The company was established in 1855 and is active in more than 20 countries. In the US Skandia´s long- term savings companies operate out of Shelton, Connecticut, in the Skandia AFS unit. For more information: Les Sutherland, American Skandia +1-203-925-3735, lsutherland@skandia.com David Schemelia, Burson-Marsteller for Skandia, +1-212-614-4353, david_schemelia@nyc.bm.com http://www.skandia-race.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/03/30/20000330BIT00280/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/03/30/20000330BIT00280/bit0002.pdf