The deal encompasses three events and sponsorship of a Jules Verne record challenger.
Qatar’s sponsorship – organised through the Qatar Sports International group - will encompass three separate events all designed to help promote Qatar to a wider audience, and build up interest in the Asian Games it hosts in 2006.
The first fruits of the major new deal will be when British yachtswoman Tracy Edwards attempts to break the Jules Verne record this winter in the Maiden II catamaran – which will be renamed and rebranded as Qatar 2006 over the coming months.
The first of the events will set sail from the UK in January 2005, with a new non-stop global race for giant multihulls – the Oryx Cup – complete with $1m prize; the biggest ever prize to be offered in sailing.
In December 2006, the Qatar Sports Global Challenge will start from Doha and feature both ocean-going multihull and monohull yachts, over 100 ft and 110 ft respectively. Stop-overs during the challenge will be arranged in the Far East and the US, with locations and prize money to be confirmed next year.
In the build up to the Challenge, all participating yachts will take part in the first ever ‘Suez Parade’ from the UK to Qatar in November 2006, arriving in Doha at the beginning of December.
This will coincide with the staging of the Asian Games in Doha between December 1-15, 2006.
Said Qatar’s Crown Prince, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani: “Qatar is proud to be staging such a series of global challenges on a scale not seen before. We look forward to welcoming the world’s finest ocean racers to our shores and showing the world what Qatar has to offer.”
