News

August 3, 2006

ABN AMRO ONE has won the Britannia Cup, finishing first boat in Class 0 IRC in the race around the island at Skandia Cowes Week. Hotly contested each year since 1951, The Britannia Cup is one of the largest trophies held in the Royal Yacht Squadron’s impressive cabinet, and will be formally presented to ABN AMRO ONE at the Royal Yacht Squadron prize giving on Friday. Sailing an east-about route round the island, Class 0 started a downwind leg from the Royal Yacht Squadron line at 1030 this morning and finished five hours and six minutes later.

ABN AMRO ONE have now stretched their impressive overall lead in the series, holding a mere quarter of the points of the second placed boat (with one discard). Joining Mike Sanderson and his crew onboard today was Juan Kouyoumdijan, affectionately known as ‘Juan K’, renowned for designing this, the winning boat of the 2005-2006 Volvo Ocean Race.

The Britannia Cup was presented to the Royal Yachting Association in 1950 when Sir Peter Scott suggested to King George VI that larger yachts should compete for a new trophy. It was felt that the America’s Cup could not be
restarted until after the war and that this new trophy would be a welcome new competition of international significance.