PRESS RELEASE: NEW CORPORATE PARTNER ANNOUNCED

The Royal Thames Yacht Club has announced a unique corporate partnership with luxury Swiss watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet. The three year arrangement sees the historic Club, which traces its origins back to 1775, partnering the oldest fine watch manufacturer never to have left the hands of the founding families dating back to 1875.

In addition to this corporate partnership, Audemars Piguet UK Ltd. will become the official sponsor of the Royal Thames Yacht Club’s Cumberland Cup, as well as the official hosts for the Club’s Prizewinners’ Dinner, which takes place each November.

Audemars Piguet is a globally renowned brand, which has been associated with a number of high profile sporting events such as the fantastic Swiss victories in the 31st and 32nd America's Cup Yacht Race. A recent sponsorship has seen them become partners of Hydroptere, a sailing vessel that now holds the fastest speed record on water.

“The Royal Thames Yacht Club has invited Audemars Piguet to become the newest corporate partner of the Club due to its standing and legacy as a brand,” said Vice Commodore Peter Haslehurst. “We look to build relationships with organisations that share similar values to us and in Audemars Piguet we have such a partner. The Royal Thames Yacht Club has been at the forefront of yacht racing since 1775 and we, like Audemars Piguet, have always respected our heritage.”

The relationship has come about due to the natural synergy between the values and heritage of the two organisations, as explained by Gary Mead, CEO of Audemars Piguet UK Ltd.
“Audemars Piguet has chosen the Royal Thames Yacht Club because of its substantial heritage, its reputation with the yachting world and because it shares the key values of Audemars Piguet – Tradition, Excellence and Daring”.

“The Royal Thames Yacht Club is internationally renowned for its sporting achievements and the prowess of its members. The partnership allows a unique opportunity for us to showcase our products to Royal Thames Yacht Club members, some of the worlds most demanding sailors who require strength, precision and quality.”

Established in 1775, the Cumberland Cup is the world’s oldest yachting trophy, set up 76 years ahead of the America’s Cup. This biannual international yacht-racing event takes place in May 2010 and attracts some of the best team racers in the world, sailing against each other in closely matched small keelboats. Racing in 2010 will be in the Royal Thames Yacht Club's newly-acquired matched fleet of J80s and will take place on the superb open waters of Queen Mary Reservoir, London's largest lake, in the west of the capital near Heathrow.

Audemars Piguet currently offers a range encompassing mechanical watches with complex mechanisms, Haute Joaillerie creations and a line of jewellery. At each stage in its history, the manufacturer has been bold enough to adopt avant-garde techniques and to place them in the service of meticulous hand craftsmanship – an approach that has earned it an unparalleled number of world firsts in the demanding field of Haute Horlogerie.

Audemars Piguet is very proud that its watches are worn on some of the most demanding wrists in the sporting world. They include Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy from the world of golf, a sport synonymous with strength, balance and precision. Audemars Piguet has three of its Ambassadors on the Formula One Motor Racing grid in Rubens Barrichello, Jarno Trulli and Sebastien Buemi, again another testing environment for any watch.

The marque is also pleased for its watches to be seen on a modern sporting legend, Sachin Tendulkar, possibly the world’s most acclaimed cricketer.

The Royal Thames is the oldest continuously operating yacht club in the world and it has organised yacht races every year since its foundation in 1775. It offers unobtrusive excellence in every aspect of Club life and its members participate in a wide range of yachting events in home waters and worldwide. They also enjoy all the facilities of the London Clubhouse and leading reciprocal clubs around the world.

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Notes to editors:
High resolution images are available upon request.

For the Royal Thames Yacht Club:
Further press information is available from Kirsty Mode or Alice Driscoll at ADPR on 01460 241641, or email kirsty@adpr.co.uk or alice@adpr.co.uk
For further information about the Royal Thames Yacht Club, visit www.royalthames.com

For Audemars Piguet UK Ltd.:
Further information is available from Lara Mingay at LM Communications on 020 7491 9945 or email laramingay@mac.com
For further information about Audemars Piguet, visit www.audemarspiguet.com
April 2010 (PR01)