RC 44: faster on water, environmentally friendly on land

In time for the beginning of the second half of the RC 44 Championship Tour in Malcesine at Lake Garda, Italy, DHL can provide first results based on its extensive climate protection program. To date, it has been possible to compensate around 16 tons of CO2 whilst transporting the yachts between the various sailing spots thanks to DHL's expertise.

Approximately 36 tons of CO2 will be offset during the entire season. The RC 44 Championship Tour's co-operation with DHL, the leading logistics specialist, thus now also continues the environmentally friendliness of sailing on land.

The RC 44 Championship Tour is an international series of sailing regattas comprising six tour stops in Puerto Calero (Lanzarote), Cagliari (Sardinia), Traunsee (Alps), Malcesine (Lake Garda), Portoroz (Slovenia) and the final Gold Cup in Dubai.

The RC 44 Championship Tour - 17 teams from 13 countries

The RC 44 yacht's innovative design from Russell Coutts (New Zealand), the three-time winner of the America's Cup and RC 44 skipper, attracts the world's best sailors. Seventeen teams from thirteen countries are currently participating in the series, including, besides Coutts, James Spithill (BMW Oracle Racing), Dean Barker (Emirates Team New Zealand), Sebastien Col (K-Challenge) and Paul Cayard (Cereef).

DHL is organizing the transport of the yachts and other sailing regatta equipment thus enabling a closely packed regatta series on various continents. "We want to use numerous new sailing locations which requires the entire equipment to be transported smoothly and cost effectively," explained Russell Coutts. "With DHL we have the best logistics partner on board. Their decades of experience as a Formula 1 logistics provider will help us to further expand the international RC 44 regatta series. We are particularly pleased that this is happening in an even more environmentally friendly way now."

The yachts are transported CO2 neutrally to the individual sailing areas

As the global market leader for transport services DHL is not only contributing logistics competence to the RC 44 Championship Tour. Deutsche Post DHL's globally pioneering climate protection role means that the yachts are now also transported CO2 neutrally to the individual sailing areas.

As part of its carbon management system the Group ensures that CO2 emissions during transport are reduced as much as possible and that all unavoidable greenhouse gas burdens will be offset through investments in internationally acknowledged climate protection initiatives.

"Today it is indisputable that people and industry are causing climate change," said Steffen Frankenberg, Vice President GoGreen Deutsche Post DHL. "It was particularly important to us to also continue sailing's environmentally friendliness of the RC 44 Championship Tour on land. Here was an absolutely natural need for CO2 reduced logistics because, as the largest logistics company, we also want to be the first choice for our customers regarding climate protection."

The regatta next to Malcesine will take place from 8 to 12 July 2009. You can find further information regarding the RC 44 class on the official homepage www.rc44.com.