Press releases in detail

Sep 21, 2008

The Audi MedCup 2008 has been decided: after six thrilling regattas with a total of 53 races in the Mediterranean, in which 21 boats from ten nations competed, the “Quantum Racing” team prevailed. At the finale in Portimão/Portugal the Americans again impressively kept their rivals in check, second place sufficed for them to clinch the title.

The 2008 season of the Audi MedCup, which is often referred to as the “Small America’s Cup”, delivered gripping races of the world’s quickest single-hull offshore sailing yachts of the TP 52 class. The season’s crowning finale was the ceremonial presentation of the winner’s trophy to the team around skipper Terry Hutchinson by Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of AUDI AG for Sales and Marketing.

A total of two of the six regattas of the Audi MedCup 2008, staged from May to September along the coasts of Alicante, Marseille, Sardinia, Majorca, Cartagena and – this weekend - at Portimão, were won by the “Quantum Racing” team. Former ski star Markus Wasmeier presented a special extra prize to the winners: on behalf of AUDI AG, the two-time Olympic winner invited the victorious crew to the “Hahnenkamm race” in Kitzbühel at the end of January 2009.

The German boat “Platoon powered by Team Germany“ of owner and skipper Harm Müller-Spreer finished fifth overall. The three-time Olympic winner and team director Jochen Schümann rated the result as a success: “We’re a newly formed team and have immediately stood our ground in this high-calibre field. Particularly here at the finale in Portugal our two victories at the last two races proved that we are competitive.” The “Platoon” is supported by Audi. On its spinnaker, main sail and hull it bears the Audi brand logo with the four rings. The “Audi TP52 powered by Q8” is another boat receiving additional support by Audi. The Italians finished in ninth place overall.

The Audi MedCup offers spectators racing action on water with simple rules: the yachts compete against each other in real time – the boat that has crossed the finish line in a leading position as often as possible at the end of a season and scores few points is the winner. Audi and sailing complement each other ideally: underneath the boats’ outer skin, there is a wealth of sophisticated technology. The materials used include titanium and carbon-fibre – high-tech materials, which are also found in the road-going production models as well as the racing cars of the premium manufacturer.