SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Carlisle Companies Incorporated’s (NYSE:CSL) American Spirit
is preparing to row across the Atlantic Ocean in the Atlantic
Challenge, where the competitors will begin this major nautical event on
December 15. This is Carlisle’s 2nd year sponsoring the American
Spirit, a custom vessel designed and built to compete
specifically in the Atlantic Challenge. Having set the American record
in last year's race, the new team is setting the bar higher looking for
on outright win in the 2016 crossing.
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Practicing in the cold ocean waters of the San Francisco Bay, California, the crew of Carlisle's American Spirit prepares for their trans-Atlantic race in December, rowing 3000 nautical miles from the Canary Islands to Antigua. (Photo: Business Wire)
The Atlantic Challenge, known as the "World's Toughest Row" in the
sports world, pits mankind against the ocean, with participants rowing
westward from the Canary Islands, off the coast of Africa, battling
across open and wild seas to the Caribbean. Competitors hail from around
the globe and will spend approximately 5-6 continuous weeks at sea in
this grueling contest where they will row more than 3,000 nautical miles.
Carlisle’s 2016 American Spirit crew is a U.S./U.K. team
comprised of two Americans and two Britons. Jason Caldwell returns this
year to captain the vessel and lead what he is confident will be this
year's winning team. Angus Collins, a U.K. ocean racing veteran joined
the team after having set the World Record in 2014 for the fastest
Indian Ocean crossing as well as the Course Record in the Atlantic and,
at the completion of the 2016 Atlantic Challenge, will be the first
person in history to row 3 oceans in 3 consecutive years. Also joining
the American Spirit crew is Briton Alex Simpson, the
former Indian Ocean rowing teammate of Angus and, at 6'5", has been
described by his peers as one of the most physically and mentally
tenacious rowers in the sport. Rounding out the 4-man crew is American
Matt Brown, Jason's former teammate at Vesper's elite rowing team in
Philadelphia where they won a number of National Titles. Prior to that
Matt rowed at Yale and Oxford competing in the Yale-Harvard race as well
as England's most prestigious Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race.
Organizing and managing this effort is Tom Magarov, last year's American
Spirit crew member, whose experience as a racer and attention to
detail adds a unique advantage to the team. The grit and determination
of this year's crew, combined with their unprecedented ocean rowing
experience, will make this year's race something special to watch. With
up to three rowing positions, these athletes will be pulling the American
Spirit 24 hours a day through ocean waves, often 10-40 feet or
higher, in an attempt to achieve a new Atlantic world record crossing
time under nature's relentless and intense conditions.
Explaining Carlisle's commitment to this extreme challenge, D. Christian
“Chris” Koch, President and Chief Executive Officer said, “We are again
honored to partner with the crew of Carlisle's American Spirit
in their quest to win the Atlantic Challenge. Carlisle’s relationship
with the team of the American Spirit began when its
Captain, Jason Caldwell, worked with many of Carlisle's top and emerging
leaders through our flagship leadership development program on the
campus of Indiana University. Carlisle's American Spirit,
at just 28 feet (8.64 meters) long and less than 6 feet (1.74 meters)
wide, contains the latest technology, safety equipment and rations to
support the Carlisle team in the Atlantic Challenge fours event.
"Our team of more than 13,000 employees are excited to again watch the American
Spirit and her crew as they attempt to break the record for the
Atlantic crossing. We will be following their progress at http://carlisle-crew-usa.com/blog
and many social media sites, including Facebook.
"Sponsoring the American Spirit is another proud
partnership that Carlisle has undertaken in recent years, including
Penske Racing drivers, Simon Pagenaud and Juan Pablo Montoya - Indy Car,
Brad Keselowski - NASCAR, the DeVilbiss SCCA Pro World Challenge Team,
and the Hawk Baja Team. These teams we have partnered with capture the
winning spirit of our Carlisle employees across the globe, and the
success they bring to Carlisle on a daily basis.”
Carlisle’s American Spirit sets off from San Sebastian de
La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 15, 2016 and expects to
arrive at Nelson’s Dockyard English Harbour, Antigua approximately 5-6
weeks later.
Due to the extreme requirements of the Atlantic Challenge, Carlisle's
worldwide team of employees is ready to provide high performance
solutions to ensure the success of Carlisle's American Spirit
team during the race, just as they provide high performance solutions
for Carlisle’s customers in their own races to meet the challenges of
their businesses every day.
About Carlisle Companies Incorporated
Carlisle Companies Incorporated diversified global company with a
portfolio of businesses focused on the manufacture and distribution of
highly engineered products for both original equipment and aftermarket
channels. Carlisle’s markets include: commercial roofing, energy,
agriculture, mining, construction, aerospace, defense, foodservice,
healthcare, sanitary maintenance, transportation, industrial, protective
coating and auto refinishing. Leveraging the Carlisle Operating System
(COS) and an entrepreneurial spirit to drive continuous improvement,
Carlisle’s worldwide team of employees generated $3.5 billion in net
sales in 2015. Learn more about Carlisle at www.carlisle.com.
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Source: Carlisle Companies Incorporated