Global software giant sponsors Cape to Rio race

by Ronelda Visser 31 Dec 2002 11:52 GMT

Photo © SAP Cape to Rio Race Media Morning lory will be competing in the 2003 Cape to Rio Race

Race organizers of the 2003 Cape to Rio ocean race today announced that German-based software giant SAP is the title sponsor of the 2003 race due to start on Saturday 4 and 11 January.

SAP is already firmly established as one of the leading supporters of the sport through their partnership with the America’s Cup defenders Team New Zealand and their corporate partnership of the DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic Challenge. According to Chris Burton, SAP’s director of sports sponsorships, the value and reach of international sailing events has been successfully identified as promoting the SAP brand and aligning the company and the values it was built on with a sport whose essence is very similar. “Innovation, teamwork and success are key words in the world of competitive sailing and key reasons why SAP has grown into one of the worlds leading business software solutions providers across the globe,” says Burton.

SAP is the leading provider of business software solutions and the third largest software company in the world with more than 18,800 companies in over 120 countries running more than 56,000 installations of SAP software. The company is listed on several exchanges including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol “SAP.”

“As one of the ‘Cape of Great Events’ key projects, the Cape To Rio provides us with a platform to showcase Cape Town internationally through international television distribution, the official website and creating “ambassadors” out of the international participants”, says Pat Lennox, Head: Special Projects, Economic Development and Tourism Directorate.

Bruce Parker-Forsyth, managing director of event organisers WORLDSPORT South Africa, said that they were absolutely delighted with the SAP sponsorship. “The Cape to Rio 2003 forms part of an aggressive strategy to involve South Africa in the business of international ocean racing and to raise the status and reputation of this classic blue water epic. With SAP’s involvement, we can ensure that the race becomes even more attractive to professionally competitive international racing teams, while maintaining its appeal to amateurs,” mentions Parker-Forsyth.

The SAP Cape to Rio 2003 starts in Table Bay on the 4th and 11th of January 2003 when the two fleets take to the Atlantic for an ocean crossing of over 3400 miles in an attempt to break the current crossing record of just over 12 days.