IWC Portugieser Tourbillon Hand-Wound F.A. Jones (IW5447-05)

"The Volvo Ocean Race is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular round-the-world sailing events. We are proud to be part of this exceptional test of sailing prowess, which attracts the very best teams on the planet," says IWC CEO Georges Kern. "By continuing our partnership, we are underscoring our longterm commitment, and the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 will give us another opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in engineering, technology and innovation."
Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, is likewise delighted at the prospect of working with the Swiss watch manufacturer again: "IWC Schaffhausen and the Volvo Ocean Race are both globally active, and our successful cooperation is founded on a passion for sport and our everyday quest for perfection. It is an enormous pleasure for me to welcome IWC again as the Official Timekeeper of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15."
In the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15, keen elite sailors from every corner of the globe will crew the brand new one-design Volvo Ocean 65 racing boats as they cover almost 40,000 nautical miles (almost 74,000 kilometres) in a race around the world. The competition, which lasts almost 9 months, has become known as the "Everest" of sailing.
After starting in Alicante in Spain on 4 October 2014, the round-the-world race makes stopovers in Cape Town (South Africa),Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Sanya (China), Auckland( New Zealand), Itajaí (Brazil), Newport (Rhode Island, USA), Lisbon (Portugal) and Lorient (France) before the finish in Gothenburg (Sweden).
As in 2011-12, IWC Schaffhausen will reward their extraordinary achievements by acting as sponsor of the highly prestigious IWC Schaffhausen 24-hour Speed Record Challenge. This prize goes to the team that covers the greatest distance in any period of 24 hours during each stage of the race. In the 2011-12 race, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand covered an impressive 566 nautical miles (1048 kilometres) in a single day. IWC rewarded each member of the crew with the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Edition "Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012".
Apart from its function as Official Timekeeper and presenter of the IWC Schaffhausen 24-hour Speed Record Challenge trophy, the Swiss watch manufacturer is also renewing its commitment as Official Sponsor of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, which made history in the previous race as the first Arab-flagged entry. IWC CEO Georges Kern stresses the benefits of the partnership with the team: "Our cooperation gave us a profound insight into the actual race. In the host ports, IWC's guests had a chance to get close to the crew and have a peek behind the scenes of this truly momentous sailing event (...) The thoroughly positive balance of our cooperation and the fact that double Olympic silver medallistIan Walker will be back at the helm firmed our commitment and persuaded us to support the team's ambitions once again."
Faisal Al Sheikh, Director - Events Bureau, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), and Team Principal of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing likewise welcomes the continuation of the partnership: "Abu Dhabi and IWC Schaffhausen have forged a deep-rooted spirit based on the fundamentals of tradition, a desire for perfection and a winning mentality. We saw these core values come to the fore during the last campaign, and they are the building blocks of our future cooperation."