Skandia brings BPA on board

Skandia adds British Paralympic Association to sponsorship portfolio © Magnus Wheatley

Skandia adds British Paralympic Association to sponsorship portfolio

Skandia, the international long-term savings company, is further expanding its Set Sail portfolio of sailing sponsorships by supporting the British Paralympic Association with particular focus on the sailing team and their participation in the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games.

Since its introduction to the Paralympics as an exhibition event at Atlanta in 1996 and then as a fully recognised discipline in Sydney 2000, paralympic sailing has grown rapidly in popularity and, thanks to Andy Cassell's Gold Medal in Atlanta, has put Great Britain firmly on the map.

This year's team, which includes John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Stephen Thomas in the three-person Keelboat - Sonar, has also looked particularly strong in preparation races and has high hopes of bringing back a medal. The race to become the representative in the single-handed 2.4mR class is currently being closely fought and will be announced later this month.

The partnership will form an integral part of Skandia's Set Sail programme that aims to offer people more opportunities to participate in the sport on a broader level. Its objectives are to make sailing more accessible, grow the sports reach and enrich people's lives through the sport.

Skandia's Group Marketing Director, André Oszmann said, "We are extremely pleased to be adding the BPA to our Set Sail programme. These are exciting times for paralympic sailing and in the short time that it has been included as a paralympic sport, Great Britain is already beginning to make a name for itself. We wish the team all the best in Athens."

Skandia's support of the BPA will also include sponsorship of a BPA/House of Commons entry in this year's Round the Island Race, the annual sailing event involving 1500 yachts racing around the Isle of Wight, on June 26. The crew, made up of six MPs including Richard Ottoway, Roger Gale, Bernard Jenkin, Desmond Turner, Derek Wyatt and Nigel Evans and members of the BPA sailing team, will be sailing in Peter Harrison's world famous Chernikeef Farr 50 Yacht.