Volvo Car Australia to be official car supplier of the 1999 World Sailing Championships on Port Philip Bay from 1 to 16 January.

The World Sailing Championships to be staged off Melbourne on Port Phillip Bay, will be the biggest such event ever held and the greatest showcase for sailing technology seen in Australia.

Volvo Car Australia is taking its first step into international yachting by becoming a corporate sponsor for this event and the
provider of official vehicles with a fleet of 20 cars comprising S40, V40 and V70 worth around $2,000,000. The clearly identified cars are already a familiar sight on the streets of Melbourne.

"The blending of art, science and technology in competitive sailing perfectly encapsulates the corporate values of Volvo," says Jan Eriksson, managing director, Volvo Car Australia.

"The profile of Australians who enjoy sailing is a remarkably close match with the profile of Australians who are buying today's Volvos."

This event is important to Volvo for local reasons as well. Melbourne is one of the two largest markets for Volvo cars in Australia.

Volvo is deeply committed to competitive sailing at the highest level. It is already actively supporting the 1998 Volvo ISAF World Youth Sailing Championship, starting just before the Melbourne event at Simon's Town in South Africa.

The World Sailing Championships is the first major sailing competition which Volvo has supported in Australia.

The two events will give Volvo valuable experience in sponsoring ocean racing prior to the big one - the former Whitbread Round the World Ocean Race from late 2001 to mid 2002. This now becomes the Volvo Ocean Race.

The sponsorship of the World Sailing Championships comes at a particularly important time for Melbourne, which is currently involved in bidding against Fremantle, Sydney and Auckland to be one of the antipodean stopover points in the Volvo Ocean Race around the world.

The sheer size and scope of the World Sailing Championship is truly amazing. 1800 competitors from 57 countries are taking part and competing for 16 world championships in 11 classes.

These classes include the classic Finn class, Europe Dinghies, International A Division Catamarans and Cadets for Australia's younger up and coming sailors and future Olympians.

Perhaps the most exciting of all will be the new 49ers, designed by Australian Julian Bethwaite and hailed around the world as the Formula One Racers of Olympic sailing. The event promises to be a magnificent spectacle which will attract world wide interest. According to World Championship Director Kevin Wood, "What we will see on Port Phillip Bay is the very best in the sport and the latest, most technically advanced sailing craft in what is arguably our most environmentally responsible sport.

"It is a perfect synergy for our relationship with Volvo. The 1999 World Sailing Championship is very proud to welcome Volvo as the official car of the Championship."