Mirabaud has been involved in yacht racing for many years, notably through its spon- sorship of the Bol d’Or Mirabaud, Thomas Jundt’s foiling prototype, the Mirabaud LX, as well as the Mirabaud Trophy.
An original model for sponsorship
By communicating and associating itself with initiatives that convey an image of professionalism, ethics and performance, Mirabaud keeps pace with the development and expansion of its brand, both locally and internationally.
For several years, Mirabaud has pursued an original spon- sorship model, one that fosters encounters with exceptional men and women – be it through painting (via its collection of works by the Geneva-based painter Pierre-Louis De la Rive, 1753-1817), extreme adventures (Mike Horn), or in the area of classical music. Mirabaud also supports the following projects in the world of sailing:
Dominique Wavre
To be able to sail non-stop around the world without stopovers or outside assistance, you need to be organised, tough and determined. Mirabaud apply the same strength of force in their support of Domnique Wavre, one of the world’s most experienced offshore sailors. Since the age of 13, Dominique has sailed from the waters of Lake Geneva to the world’s greatest oceans.
Dominique’s passion for the sport led him to give up his profession as an art teacher to concentrate on sailing. His competitive spirit pushed him into some of the toughest nautical challenges including the single-handed La Figaro race, the Jacques Vabre transatlantic race, the Fastnet race and the America’s Cup. In 2000, he finished the mythic Vendée Globe and became the first Swiss sailor to have sailed non-stop around the world and also the holder of the record for the most distance covered in 24 hours.
Mirabaud are delighted to support Dominique Wavre in the Barcelona World Race (double-handed round-the-world race, start date: 31st December 2010), the Transat Jacques Vabre (start date: 30th October 2011) and the Vendée Globe (start date: 21st October 2012)
Bol d’Or Mirabaud
Organised by the Société Nautique de Genève, the Bol d’Or Mirabaud is Europe’s largest freshwater regatta. First launched on 18 July 1939 with 26 competitors, the regatta now attracts nearly 600 yachts with about 2,500 crewmembers.
The Bol d’Or Mirabaud is held each year on the second wee- kend of June. The 66.5-nautical mile (123km) round trip race runs from Geneva to Le Bouveret and back. The real-time win- ner of the race wins the Bol d’Or Mirabaud challenge. This tro- phy is put back into play each year, but a team that manages to win the trophy three times in five years earns the right to keep it. The Bol de Vermeil trophy is awarded to the leading monohull.
The Bol d’Or Mirabaud has forged a fabulous reputation over the years and has become one of the great Classics on the international sailing calendar. The world’s greatest yachtsmen have participated in and won the Bol d’Or, including Loïck Peyron, Ernesto Bertarelli, Alain Gautier, Russell Coutts, Philippe Durr, Eric Tabarly, Dennis Conner and many others.
Mirabaud LX: the hull-less sailboat
The Mirabaud LX is an experimental, one-of-a-kind sailboat, the brainchild of sailor and engineer Thomas Jundt’s vision and experience.
Designed to “fly” on its hydrofoils, the Mirabaud LX is the first vessel capable of navigating without a hull, though a certain minimum degree of floatation is necessary for “taking off” and sailing in light winds. Built on a carbon fibre tubular sup- port structure, the LX is an engineer’s dream. Each component was specifically optimised to reduce its weight to a minimum, to allow the boat to rise above the water as quickly as possible. A true gem of technological prowess, the Mirabaud LX won the Geneva-Rolle-Geneva regatta in the monohull category in 2009, a formidable accomplishment that has earned it interna- tional recognition and praise.
Events
Among it’s other projects, Mirabaud supported the ‘Swiss Sailing Night’ during which Switzerlands most deserving com- petitive sailors are acknowledged. In addition, the three first editions of the World Yacht Racing Forum, which gathers ‘the great and the good’ of sailing, have been supported by Mira- baud through the award for the best sailing photograph of the year.
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