2001 Laureus Sports Awards Regatta Preview

Superstars of Sail and Screen set to mix it up on the Med!

Stars of screen and sport will be competing for glory on the Mediterranean alongside some of the biggest names in sailing, at the two-day Laureus Regatta in Monaco, on May 21-22nd this year.

America's Cup hero Paul Cayard, JJ Isler and Tommaso Chieffi, and British Olympic gold medallist yachtsman Ben Ainslie are among eight world-renowned match racing skippers who will take part in the Laureus Regatta, leading professional crews and being helped by World Sports Academy members and Hollywood royalty, who will be on board as guests.

Last year Hollywood stars including Samuel L Jackson and David Hasselhoff competed alongside HSH Prince Albert, World Sports Academy members and sports stars such as Sir Peter Blake, Mark Spitz, Edwin Moses, Nadia Comaneci, as well as Venus and Serena Williams.

Paul Cayard, the first American winner of the Whitbread Round the World Race (1998) explained:

"The Laureus Regatta is bringing together the top people not only in yachting, but in all of sport, with top-of-the-line sponsors, in the most enchanting harbour on the whole of the Med. Let's just say I am looking forward to it!"

The Regatta is part of the Laureus World Sports Awards, established last year by Richemont and DaimlerChrysler to honour the achievements of the world's greatest sportsmen and women on an annual basis, which will take place at the Grimaldi Forum on the evening of May 22, 2001. Awards are judged by the World Sports Academy, an assembly of 38 sporting legends including footballers Pelé, Bobby Charlton and Michel Platini, basketball player Michael Jordan, gymnast Nadia Comaneci, cricketers Ian Botham and Kapil Dev, tennis players Martina Navratilova, Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker, athletes Edwin Moses and Daley Thompson and golfers Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros.

The Laureus Regatta, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz and Officine Panerai, the Italian sports luxury watch brand, will be held under the banner of the Yacht Club de Monaco. It is one of several prestigious sporting events involved in the run-up to the second Laureus World Sports Awards. On the first day of racing, the Monte Carlo Golf Club will be hosting the Laureus Golf Challenge, and then competitors of both events can relax and unwind at the Laureus Night of Sport and Film, a unique celebration of sport on the silver screen held at the glamorous Monte Carlo Beach Club Hotel.

But, before then, the Regatta sailors will be competing alongside some of the world's best-known sportsmen and women during two days of match racing on prestigious Nautor Swan yachts. Eight of the world's top Match Racing skippers will compete in 30-minute contests on a round-robin format over the first day and a half of the Regatta. By late morning on day two, after up to 28 races (dependent on conditions), the top four helmsmen will have emerged from the competition, and they will battle it out for first prize.

Once the Finals are complete, prize-giving and a press conference will be held at the Hotel Le Meridien before all the participants and other celebrity guests move on to the Grimaldi Forum for the Laureus World Sports Awards Gala Evening. The winning Swan will be presented with the Laureus Regatta Challenge Trophy. The winning crew will all receive the Laureus Limited Edition watch specially made by Officine Panerai for the occasion, while the triumphant match race skipper will receive a Mercedes-Benz C230 Sportcoupé.

Last year's inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony in Monaco saw Tiger Woods voted as World Sportsman of the Year, while Marion Jones was named World Sportswoman of the Year. The other recipients of the prestigious Laureus Trophy last year were: Manchester United (World Team of the Year); Sergio Garcia (World Newcomer of the Year); Lance Armstrong (World Comeback of the Year); Louise Sauvage (World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability); Shaun Palmer (World Alternative Sportsperson of the Year).

Laureus World Sports Awards nominees for the year 2001:

• World Sportsman of the Year: golfer Tiger Woods, swimmers Pieter van den Hoogenband and Ian Thorpe, Formula One driver Michael Schumacher and Olympic rower Steve Redgrave.
• World Sportswoman of the Year: tennis player Venus Williams, golfer Karrie Webb, swimmer Inge de Bruijn, athletes Marion Jones and Cathy Freeman.
• World Team of the Year: Australian cricketers, the New York Yankees baseballers and the football teams of France, Cameroon and Real Madrid.
• World Newcomer of the Year: tennis players Marat Safin and Juan Carlos Ferrero, cricketer Brett Lee, golfer Aaron Baddeley and Grand Prix driver Jenson Button.
• World Comeback of the Year: tennis player Jennifer Capriati, skier Janica Kostelic, athlete Heike Drechsler, ice hockey star Mario Lemieux and swimmer Dara Torres.
• World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: swimmer Beatrice Hess, tennis player David Hall, equestrian Lee Pearson, sailor Vinny Lauwers and athlete Shea Cowart.
• World Alternative Sportsperson of the Year: surfer Layne Beachley, snowboarder Tara Dakides, extreme adventurer Mike Horn, skier/mountain climber Davo Karnicar and mountain biker John Stamstad.