XCAT World Series and Marinepool join forces in three-year deal

15 May 2013, Dubai – The WPPA’s management team rounded off a successful European tour by signing a three-year agreement with German-based clothing supplier Marinepool at their Munich headquarters last week. The UAE delegation headed by WPPA Vice President Dr Khalid Al Zahed and made up of Sid Bensalah, Secretary General of the WPPA and Arif Al Zafein, Managing Director of the Victory Team met with the founders and owners of Marinepool to sign the deal, which is the culmination of an eight-year relationship with the well-known watersports brand. Thanks to the agreement, Marinepool – Spirit of the Ocean has become a strategic partner and “Official Clothing Supplier” to the UIM XCAT World Series, which returns to

action after the summer. Marinepool is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading sailing clothing and maritime lifestyle brands and is the leading producer of life jackets for the leisure market in Europe. Founded in 1991 by German sailors, the company now boasts sales in 43 countries worldwide, an extensive global network of retail partners and is official supplier to a host of watersport events, racing circuits, grand prix sailing teams and national federations, among them the Fédération Française de Voile (FFV) and Sailing Team Germany (STG). Using only the best materials and state of the art production technologies, no detail is omitted to ensure every product is optimised before it reaches the market. More than 20 years of experience and design excellence, plus the invaluable input of the world class athletes proudly wearing Marinepool garments, guarantee the products are at the cutting edge of technology – uncompromising, highly functional and extremely light weight, and tested and approved by many of the world’s finest sailors. “We have come a long way from small beginnings to one of the leading watersport brands and successful lifestyle label with product lines ranging from performance sailing clothing to maritime fashion. We are proud of what we have achieved and of our story,” said Robert Stark, President and CEO of Marinepool. “This agreement with the WPPA and the UIM XCAT World Series, marks another exciting chapter of that story. We are thrilled to be a part of the Series as strategic partner and ‘Official Clothing Supplier’ and we look forward to a long association in the years ahead,” he added. Bensalah said: “We have already had an ongoing relationship with Marinepool for a number of years and it is exciting to now have them on board for the next three years as official clothing suppliers for the XCAT World Series. The quality of their products is without match and we are proud to be associated with such a successful brand.” Action in the 2013 UIM XCAT World Series is set to resume after the summer, with several international races planned, before racing returns to the UAE in December. Dubai-based Fazza still leads the series standings with 830 points from the three heats so far, with Mouawad 50 second on 671 and Gabon 33 third on 525.