Louis Vuitton announce a World first Series

8:14 AM Wed 2 Sep 2009 GMT

'Louis Vuitton will continue their long association with professional big-boat match racing with the Louis Vuitton World Series' Gareth Cooke - Subzero Images &copy Click Here to view large photo

Louis Vuitton have announced that the first World Series, modeled on the highly successful Louis Vuitton Pacific Series will take place in 2010

The event to be known as the Louis Vuitton World Series will be undertaken in association with a new professional sailing group the World Sailing Team Association (WSTA). This group comprises eight teams, with others expected to join the powerful grouping. The co-ordinator of the WSTA is Laurent Esquier (FRA) the long time sailing coach, best known in New Zealand for his development of the KZ-7 crew in Fremantle.

The official statement reads: 'Some of the best professional sailing teams, grouped together under the name WSTA (World Sailing Team Association), and Louis Vuitton, a key player in the world of top-level sailing for more than 25 years, today announced the creation of an international regatta circuit.

'The WSTA (World Sailing Team Association) groups together the participants in previous Louis Vuitton Cup regattas (K-Challenge (France), BMW Oracle Racing (USA), Emirates Team New Zealand, Mascalzone Latino (Italy) and welcomes newcomers such as Team Artemis (Sweden), Team Synergy (Russia), Joe Fly (Italy) and Team French Spirit (France). Other teams will join the association in the coming weeks.

Yves Carcelle (centre) has once again thrown the backing of Louis Vuitton behind another spectacular sailing event. - Richard Gladwell Click Here to view large photo

'Entitled the Louis Vuitton World Series, these regattas are a first in the world of sailing and follow on from the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series organised in Auckland, New Zealand, last February. The global success of this exceptional competition persuaded all the partners in this adventure to create a dynamic and ambitious new race programme based on the same concept and format.

'Ten teams will be invited to confront each other in successive duels over a fortnight on two pairs of identical boats chosen by lot. The racing boats were sailed in the 2007 LV Cup. This concept, which demonstrates the desire to return to the original spirit of 'match racing', provides an exhilarating show and is easy for spectators to understand.

'The WSTA and Louis Vuitton plan to organise several regattas a year. Many cities of which Nice, Hong Kong, Auckland, New York and several European venues have shown their interest.

'A press conference will be held in Paris on Tuesday September 8th. More details about the events to be organised in 2009 and 2010 will be disclosed during this conference.'

Two pairs of identical former Louis Vuitton Cup contestants will be supplied for the Louis Vuitton World series. - Richard Gladwell Click Here to view large photo

The world leader in luxury, Louis Vuitton has been synonymous with the art of stylish travel since 1854. Since 1987, it has been part of LVMH/Mo?t Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, the world's most prestigious luxury goods group headed by Bernard Arnault. Since 1997, with the arrival of the designer Marc Jacobs, it has extended its expertise to women's and men's ready-to-wear, shoes, watches and jewellery, glasses, combining traditional craftsmanship with flair and innovation to create a complete lifestyle experience. Today, Louis Vuitton has an exclusive network of stores all across the world.

by Richard Gladwell