For more than 125 years Kieler Woche (Kiel Week) has been the major sailing sport event worldwide. In 2010, Audi will be on board as well: The automobile manufacturer from Ingolstadt will be the mobility partner in the capital of sailing, provide shuttle vehicles for the fleet, and will be featured with its logo on all official advertising materials and clothing.
With its three and a half million visitors Kieler Woche is also northern Europe’s largest summer festival, but its centerpiece has and always will be the sport: 5000 sailors from 50 nations in about 2000 boats start from the sailing areas of the inner and outer firth. “Sailing has a very special significance for us: with its combination of team work, high-tech materials and sporting competitions it is a perfect fit for Audi. Audi has already made a good name for itself in international sailing with its successful commitment in the Audi MedCup and seamlessly continues this engagement by supporting Kieler Woche,” says Hans-Joachim Radde, Head of Marketing Germany, AUDI AG.
The Lord Mayor of Kiel, Torsten Albig, adds, “We are proud to present Audi as a new partner. The conclusion of the agreement proves that Kieler Woche is a highly attractive event for globally successful companies.”
For world champions and Olympic winners in all classes, competing at Kieler Woche has long become a must: The winners of Kieler Woche are determined in 16 national and international boat classes as well as in ten Olympic classes. In addition, the yachts will compete with each other in the ORC International I-IV and various one-design classes on the offshore course.
In addition to competitive sport, Kieler Woche offers the full gamut of the fascination of sailing – at the rendezvous of the classic yachts as well as at the cutter regattas on the inner firth or the large parade of the windjammers and traditional sailing boats that concludes the event. The Four Rings will always be present this year: on posters, guiding systems, the walls behind the winners’ podium, official clothing, the official program booklet or banners lining the regatta areas. For invited customers, Audi offers its own hospitality, and shuttle vehicles consisting of Audi Q5, Q7 and A8 models are available to VIP guests throughout the event. But every visitor will have the opportunity to personally experience “Vorsprung durch Technik” as well. At the “Rathausplatz” (square in front of city hall) and in the sponsors’ lane in Schilksee Audi will present vehicles from the current model range and offer test drives. And to ensure that the boats of the competing sailors are taken to the waterfront in time and back, Audi will provide the trailer service in Schilksee.
Source: http://www.audiusanews.com/newsrelease.do?id=1653