Garmin to sponsor leading Round Britain entry
The Round Britain Power Boat Race on June 21 will include Garmin in the line-up, a 39ft Hunton monohull skippered by Top Gear cameraman Iain May accompanied by its presenter, James May, and Nick Knowles from DIY SOS.
Sponsored by leading electronic navigational equipment manufacturer, Garmin Marine, the entry will be officially launched by Jeremy Clarkson later this month to allow time for practice before the start. Garmin will also be one of the attractions at this year’s Sportsboat & RIB Show being held in the Hamble, and following the Round Britain marathon, will also compete in the prestigious Cowes-Torquay-Cowes Race two months later (August 23).
The entry will be supported by an impressive range of Garmin equipment. This will include a GPS map 5012 multi function display for the navigator, a GPS map 5008 for the driver, a GMI 10 speed indicator for the throttle man, g2 Vision Blue Charts to cover the whole of the UK and Ireland along with a hand-held GPS for back-up/grab bag.
The Race, with over 50 boats in the line-up, starts off Portsmouth before heading for ten separate locations over the ten-day period. It will be the first time a Round Britain contest of its type has been held since 1984. The first in 1969 saw Iain’s father finishing 11th giving him the added incentive to finish higher up the overall table!
On announcing their sponsorship, Chris Boyle, Garmin’s Marine Product Manager commented,
“Garmin is delighted to be sponsoring Iain and his team in this year’s Round Britain Race. Not only do they have a very exciting list of crew members, but we also believe they have an excellent chance of finishing well. However, for us, this is a commitment beyond just the one race, and hopefully a relationship that will last many years.”
Additional sponsors include:
Cooney Marine – custom stainless steel work;
Digital Yacht – AIT250 Class B Transponder;
EPS – fitting out the boat;
Gill – all ‘team’ clothing for both onboard and onshore;
Hunton Powerboats – Manufacturer and Builder;
Icom – VHF communications;
MSA – supply of outdrives;
Marine Diesel – 2 x 450hp engines;
Marine Electronic Services – installation of the AIS system and supply of a McMurdo EPIRB
Further information about The 2008 Round Britain Power Boat Race is available at: www.roundbritain.co.uk
