IWC Schaffhausen has formed a partnership with Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) to become the first major sponsor of its Volvo Ocean Race 2011/12 team, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.

The landmark deal, marking the luxury Swiss brand’s debut in top-tier global team sport sponsorship, will run throughout the entire Volvo Ocean Race 2011/12 campaign, which ends in Galway, Ireland in July 2012, after making nine stopovers, including the UAE capital on New Year’s Day.

Georges Kern, CEO, IWC Schaffhausen & ADTA’s Abdul Aziz Al Hamadi

Under the agreement, the partners will foster enhanced promotional and awareness initiatives around the team’s pursuit of top honours in this 39,000-nautical-mile round-the-world race, widely regarded as the ‘Everest of Sailing’, which begins this October in Alicante, Spain. The IWC Schaffhausen logo will also be featured on the team’s new Volvo Open 70 racing yacht, which launches next month.

Source : IWC Schaffhausen