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Barcelona World Race

Brit duo Lia Ditton & Phil Sharp in Barcelona in 2010

"After the rowing race, my year will be dominated by my BWR campaign"

mardi 19 janvier 2010Redaction SSS [Source RP]

Lia Ditton has announced her intention to enter the Barcelona World Race Barcelona World Race #barcelonaworldrace 2010. This will be the first round-the-world race for Lia, who has completed eleven ocean crossings, 3 racing solo plus deliveries spanning some 75,000 nautical miles.

Since achieving second place in the 2006 Route du Rhum Route du Rhum #RouteDuRhum and becoming the youngest competitor and the only woman to finish the single-handed 2005 Faraday Mill OSTAR, Lia has moved away from solo events. With sights firmly set on the Barcelona World Race Barcelona World Race #barcelonaworldrace 2010 she has been dedicating her time to larger crews and sailing IMOCA Imoca #IMOCA Open 60s in order to prepare for what she describes as “the toughest race open to professional sailors today.”

With hot competition from Alex Thomson and Jean-Pierre Dick, who ranked first and second in the Barcelona World Race Barcelona World Race #barcelonaworldrace 2007, Lia will need all the training she can get in order to be in with a chance of the top 3 placing she hopes for. To this end she has taken her training to extremes by competing in the pairs class of the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race 2009 which began on the 4th of January.

- “After the rowing race, my year will be dominated by my Barcelona World Race 2010 campaign. For me, the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race will be mental and physical training, since the race will be of similar duration to the Barcelona World Race – 2 to 3 months at sea and likewise with only one other person onboard.”

And she has proved her mettle over the past week, moving from 20th place to 5th place ensuring she and rowing partner Mick Birchall have every chance of winning the pairs class.

Once she completes the Atlantic Rowing Race Lia will spend time racing in the Caribbean with fellow British sailing talent Phil Sharp to test out their compatibility as a crew for Barcelona, a crew that Phil would skipper. Phil, who plans to use the race as a platform for his Vendee Globe 2012 entry, has proven he has everything it takes to win such a tough race and would make an ideal partner for deeply competitive Lia. But having only briefly met during the 2006 Route du Rhum Route du Rhum #RouteDuRhum the pair feel that the most pragmatic thing to do is to spend time getting to know each properly other before cementing the deal.

Lia, who is an artist as well as a professional sailor, will also be using the race to work on her next piece ‘The Sound of Sailing’. She is in discussion with an internationally renowned musician who she hopes to collaborate with on the project. She is also in discussions with a well-known filmmaker who will be producing a documentary about ‘The Sound of Sailing’. This unique combination of a major art work with entry into such a high profile race guarantees sponsors some exciting opportunities and a higher than usual return on investment.

- Press info Margaret Bowling


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