Peugeot, PoP and Surfrider set sail for the Sydney to Hobart
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SYDNEY - Nov 12, 2012: Peugeot Automobiles Australia, the Surfrider Foundation and PoP (Protect our Playground) have joined together to tackle one of the world’s toughest yacht races – the Sydney to Hobart.
The yacht, a ‘Beneteau 45′, will sail under the name “Peugeot Surfrider”. The combination of Peugeot, Surfrider and ‘PoP’ will shine a bright light on a massive environmental concern.
The Protect Our Playground (PoP) Crew is front row witnesses to the damage caused to seashores and marine environments. The team promotes ocean preservation by highlighting the problem of ocean plastics in collaboration with the Surfrider Foundation Australia.
The Surfrider Foundation Australia is a not for profit organisation dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of Australia’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through Conservation, Activism, Research and Education (CARE). Surfrider Foundation Australia is an affiliate of the global Surfrider Foundation organisation, which has a presence in the USA, Japan, Brazil and Europe, and has over 50,000 members and countless more supporters worldwide.
``I personally can’t think of a better way for all of us to highlight the issue to the public than by the use of one of the most high profile events in Australia,’’ says Peugeot Australia General Manager Bill Gillespie.
``When Peugeot Australia considered the sponsorship of a boat in the Sydney to Hobart it wasn’t enough for us to sponsor a boat or the race. This isn’t the goal of this partnership at all. We wanted an event or sponsorship that would operate at many different levels for our business and talk to our owners and consumers about an issue that we know, from research, that Peugeot owners and intenders feel very strongly about – the environment.’’
Automobiles Peugeot has a global approach to the reduction of CO2 emissions and the promotion of more efficient combustion engines. Peugeot continues to meet and exceed global requirement for mobility without sacrificing driving pleasure. This was most recently highlighted at the Paris Motor Show in September where AP revealed a range of engine strategies such as downsizing petrol engines, diesel engines, the generalization of the particulate filter, application of stop/start technology, diesel-electric hybrids and electric drive.
Training is already underway with the crew honing its skills in a series of regattas on Sydney Harbour. The crew will be joined by world renowned professional sailor and Surfrider Europe Ambassador, Nicolas Lunven, for the big race.
The Boat:
Beneteau First 45 named Balance and based at the
CYCA in Sydney. Summary of its serious race results(IRC/ORCi) since
2009:
2009
2010
2011
Sydney Hobart 2011
The Crew: