| FREMANTLE, WA-(31-7-2002) A team from Western Australia have reserved their place on the starting
line of the Antarctica Cup, the US $6.4 million maxi-yacht race through the
Southern Ocean, that starts and finishes in Fremantle.
Led by locally based, international business man Mark Rodoreda, the team
are already in negotiations with a number of Western Australia's top
sailors, and are very optimistic about support from the local business
community.
Rodoreda was very enthusiastic about the home town entry, saying `we have
so many great sailors in W.A., and they have to go overseas to get their
international competition.
`It's going to be great to give them a chance to sail for W.A. in a major
international race that starts and finishes in Fremantle.`
Mark himself comes from a family with a long history of offshore sailing in
Western Australia, and competed at international level back in the
eighties, including five years on the Bob Williams' pocket maxi Freight
Train, and as a trialist for the Australia II crew in '83.
In his business he is used to working with some of the world's best known
sportsmen, Mark is an international consultant on turfgrass and
horticultural matters, related to construction and design of golf courses
and sportsfields.
His clients include most of the more prominent course architects such as
Greg Norman, Graham Marsh, Gary Player and their design companies.
Bob Williams, the chairman of the Antarctica Cup, was clearly delighted
that Western Australia was putting up an entry, and threw down the gauntlet
to sailors from the east coast of the country.
`The Victorians are in, with Grant Wharington,` he said, `and now Western
Australia has an entry, what about the guys from Sydney and the rest of New
South Wales, where are they?`
Talking about Mark Rodoreda, Williams added, `I can't think of anyone in
W.A. more suited to take on this adventure, because Mark has such a long
history of offshore racing, he could be regarded as one of the most
respected veterans of Western Australian offshore racing.`
One of Mark's other passions is flying, and he has held a recreational
private pilot's licence for 25 years, with an advanced aerobatic
endorsement, now the idea for the Antarctica Cup has sparked his
imagination, and he wants to go and push the limits through the Southern
Ocean.
The Antarctica Cup, which is scheduled to start in December 2004, will be
raced in a fleet of up to fifteen 82 foot maxi turbo-sleds, and has already
attracted entries from the United States, England, the Netherlands and
Australia.
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