IWC Schaffhausen Remains Official Timekeeper of Volvo Ocean Race

Volvo Ocean Race will contine to have IWC Schaffhausen as their Official Timekeeper for 2014-15 after signing a new deal with the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer.

The deal will also include IWC remaining as a title sponsor of the IWC Schaffhausen 24-hour Speed Record Challenge.

“We are proud to be part of this exceptional test of sailing prowess, which attracts the very best teams on the planet,” said IWC CEO Georges Kern. “By continuing our partnership, we are underscoring our long-term 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 said: “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.

“It is fitting that we are building such a fruitful partnership with one of the world’s most prestigious timekeepers.”

The 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race begins in Alicante, Spain on 4 October 2014 and will finish in Gothenburg, Sweden on 27 June 2015. The full route will take the teams 39,379 nautical miles around the planet in sport’s ultimate test of character.

IWC also announced on Tuesday it is renewing its partnership with the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team who will once again be skippered by Britain’s double Olympic medallist Ian Walker.

“Our cooperation gave us a profound insight into the actual race,” Kern said. “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.

“Apart from that, we shared the thrills and spills of the race with the crew. We witnessed their highs and lows and celebrated their triumphs, as when skipper Ian Walker and his crew won the In-Port Race at their home port of Abu Dhabi. The thoroughly positive balance of our cooperation and the fact that double Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker will be back at the helm firmed our commitment and persuaded us to support the team’s ambitions once again.”