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| The first team sponsor “Holmatro” has been officially announced with more team sponsors to be revealed shortly. Holmatro are specialists in hydraulics and marine equipment. They will supply the class with mainsheet systems. They will also develop custom designed performance winches for the boats under the brand Meissner. |
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| Mitch Booth |
Skipper |
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| From America's Cup to the Olympic Games, Mitch Booth has an extensive record of competitive sailing. At the tender age of four, Mitch began his sporting career when his mother taught him the basics of sailing on Pittwater. Together with his father, he won his first State Championship as a seven years old boy. Soon after, his desire to skipper and compete in international competitions grew. The first real break-through came at the age of seventeen, when finishing 2nd in an Australian Championship. This achievement guaranteed his participation at the World Championship in the USA. From a fleet of over hundred boats representing nine countries, Mitch and his crew won the title. Ever since, Mitch grew into a professional top sailor. In 2003, he received the Dutch nationality, which allowed him and Herbert Dercksen to participate at the Olympic Games of Athens in 2004.
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| Greg Homann |
Crew |
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| Greg Homann has an international background, born in Australia but grew up in Papua New Guinea. At eight years, he took up sailing and started racing two years later, winning the Papua New Guinea Junior National Championships. He has now been involved in ocean racing for over 20 years in Australia and Europe, 2 Fastnets, 4 Transatlantics, 6 Sydney/Hobarts, with a 1st in 1988. Greg also has 12 years of 18 Foot Skiff racing, 9 years in the Grand Prix Circuit, winning 3 Grand Prix titles. He crewed for Russell Coutts in 1997. Amongst this he has been maxicat racing on “Commodore Explorer” with Bruno Peron, “Legato”, “Cheyenne/Playstation” plus “Maiden2”. He has also been crewing on Tracy Edward’s 110ft maxicat “Maiden2”, acheiving 4 World Records, including a 24 hr (695nm). In 2005, Greg raced on Steve Fossett’s 125ft catamaran, “Cheyenne”, in the Oryx Quest 05, a non-stop around the world race. Greg has two degrees, Town Planning (UNSW) and Law (Uni Syd). Plus he is a snowboard instructor and trainer. |
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| Daniël Koene |
Crew |
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| Daan is from Holland and started sailing aged 7, where he competed in optimists, Europe, dart 18 and tornado classes up until the age of 15 when he went into car racing. He was involved in the whole spectrum from touring cars to formular 3 and go-karting, and up to a world championship level. In his early 20’s he owned his own ILC30 plus a J22 and competed in the worlds amongst other regattas. Being an adrenaline junky he searched for the faster ride, and so went back to Formular18 Catamaran sailing. Daan has been part of this project from the start. |
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| Taylor Booth |
Crew |
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| Taylor comes from great Australian stock with Mitch as his father and role model – he started sailing in 2000, aged 12, on the Hobie 16, his first outing was as a competitor in the Worlds with Mitch, where they finished 8th. He has gone on to compete in 5 additional Hobie 16 worlds, and in 2002 came 2nd. He has won the Australian Youth National Championships as a helm. He outgrew the 16 and turned his hand to the Hobie tiger and in 2003 he won with Mitch and came 2nd in 2005.
He has now started sailing a Tornado this year and aims to drive one next year. |
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