Laird Hamilton to Join Puma Ocean Racing Team in Alicante, Spain, and Start First Leg

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Laird Hamilton to Join Puma Ocean Racing Team in Alicante, Spain, and Start First Leg

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG honorary 12th crew member Laird Hamilton will join the team in Alicante, Spain, Friday and Saturday, November 4-5, for the start of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012.

ALICANTE, SPAIN (November 3, 2011) – PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG honorary 12th crew member Laird Hamilton will join the team in Alicante, Spain, Friday and Saturday, November 4-5, for the start of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012. On Friday, Hamilton will participate in free paddleboarding demonstrations, and on Saturday he will join the PUMA crew onboard PUMA’s Mar Mostro for the start of the first leg, leaping off the boat as they head on to the next port of Cape Town, South Africa.

WHO Laird Hamilton, PUMA Ocean Racing Honorary Crew Member Antonio Bertone, PUMA Chief Marketing Officer WHAT Interviews & Paddleboarding WHEN Friday, November 4, 2011 12:30 – Welcome 13:30 – Interviews & Paddleboarding 20:00 – Reception WHERE 12:30 – Welcome at PUMA Social Club, Volvo Ocean Race Village 13:30 – Paddleboarding on PUMA/Laird Boards at Postiguet Beach 20:00 – Reception at PUMA Social Club, Volvo Ocean Race Village Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race begins at 12:00 UTC (14:00 local) on Saturday as PUMA’s Mar Mostro and its 11-member crew will face five other boats when the starting gun fires for the journey to South Africa.

Race Start will be streamed live online at www.volvooceanrace.com and on the live section of the Volvo Ocean Race YouTube channel: youtube.com/volvooceanracevideos. Streaming begins five minutes before the 10-minute warning signal, and the broadcast will run for approximately one hour. A complete online race experience can be found at new.livestream.com/volvooceanrace, or for mobiles/iPads, visit livestream.com/volvooceanrace. Also visit www.volvooceanrace.com for television broadcast information in local markets. Further TV Schedule information will be posted online in November.

PUMA and Hamilton, a professional surfer, introduced the PUMA/Laird Board, a limited-edition carbon fiber stand-up paddleboard (SUP) in June. The new board features the same Volvo 70 boat hull design – both ergonomically and through the use of the same ultra-lightweight materials – seen in PUMA’s Mar Mostro, the yacht set to compete in the nine-month around the world Volvo Ocean Race. Hamilton teamed with renowned boat designer Juan Kouyoumdjian (Juan K), of Juan Yacht Design, to create the unique SUP.

Juan K is the mastermind behind PUMA’s Mar Mostro as well as the designer for the two previous winning Volvo Ocean Race boats – ABM-AMRO ONE and Ericsson 4. Kouyoumdijian is also the principal designer with Artemis Racing Team for the 34th America’s Cup. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his passion for sailing inspired him to study naval architecture, and he earned a degree in yacht and in small craft design. Today, his company, Juan Yacht Design, based in Valencia, Spain, is composed of a multicultural team specialized in the design of high performance racing yachts. Built in the United States by Clear Carbon and Components, Inc. (Bristol, R.I.), the board marks the first time that boat hull design innovation have been used in stand-up paddleboards. The boards will be available at select retailers beginning in January 2012.

The PUMA/Laird Board features a foam core carbon fiber center and epoxy matrix covered by red tentacle graphics matching PUMA’s Mar Mostro. Free demo PUMA/Laird Boards will be available at each of the port stopovers during the Volvo Ocean Race including Alicante, Spain; Cape Town, South Africa; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Sanya, China; Itajaí, Brazil; Miami, Florida, USA; Lisbon, Portugal; Lorient, France; finishing in Galway, Ireland, in July 2012.

The board is designed to provide more agility and speed on the water’s surface, and it offers the ability to maneuver easily in big open ocean waves or in flat, calm water. Standup paddling is an activity for any ability level and any age, and participants can paddle on all types of water – from lakes to oceans. Standup boards range from 10-18 feet long and vary in weight based on material. Stand up paddling involves standing upright on the board with feet parallel to each other and using a paddle to move through the water. The boards are a different shape and have a different rocker than a regular surfboard, allowing a person to stand upright. For more information on PUMA Ocean Racing or the PUMA/Laird Board, go to www.pumasailingnewsroom.com.

The PUMA Ocean Racing team is once again under the leadership of skipper Ken Read (Newport, Rhode Island, United States). Collectively, the crew has won the Around the World Race six times. The core includes: Tom Addis, Navigator (Sydney, Australia); Ryan Godfrey, Pitman (Adelaide, Australia); Kelvin Harrap, Helmsman, Inshore Tactician (Napier, New Zealand); Brad Jackson, Design Coordinator & Watch Captain (Auckland, New Zealand); Rome Kirby, Trimmer & Driver (Newport, Rhode Island, USA); Michael “Michi” Müller, Bowman (Kiel, Germany); Tony Mutter, Aerodynamics Coordinator & Watch Captain (Auckland, New Zealand); Casey Smith, Systems Manager & Bowman (Brisbane, Australia); Jonathan “Jono” Swain, Helmsman & Trimmer (Durban, South Africa); Amory Ross, Media Crew Member (Newport, Rhode Island, USA); Kimo Worthington, General Manager (Portsmouth, Rhode Island, United States); and Tim Hacket, Shore Team Manager (Sydney, Australia).

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