img7008The 2001 Swan European Regatta has attracted a record fleet to the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes, Isle of Wight. Racing will get underway on Sunday June 11 at 10.30, with Accenture Race
Day starting from the Royal Yacht Sqaudron line. Day one will see the yachts
compete in a 25 race around the cans in the Solent. Two shorter races are
planned for the second day of the regatta, the Deutsche Bank Private Banking
Race Day.

Swan's own handicapping system will divide the fleet in two, the Swan 46s -
Swan 65s in the big boat class, with the Swan 44's and down in the small
class.

Yachts from 11 nations will be represented on the start line, including the
48-foot Russian entry Murta, skippered by Mikeal Mourtatov and his Ukrainian
girlfriend Olga White. Other nations represented are Chile, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Sweden and the USA.

The big boat fleet will feature current Swan European Champion,
Jacobite helmed by Olympic Gold Medallist - Shirley Robertson. They will be
up against the biggest boat in the fleet, Kings Legend, at 65 foot. Kings
Legend came second in the 1981/2 Whitbread Round the World Race.

Olympic Gold Medallist Shirley Robertson will replace fellow Sydney hero Ben Ainslie at the wheel of Jacobite, a Swan 48. Ainslie was due to helm the yacht he also sailed on last season, until the joined the Seattle based America's Cup syndicate OneWorld earlier this year.

Jacobite, owned by Stephen James, won the 1999 Swan European Regatta and the Swan North European Challenge in 2000. James was clearly delighted that Robertson is to join the Swan 48 for much of the 2001 season. "She's a brilliant helmsman. Last season Ben Ainslie immediately adapted to steering a bigger boat that he was used to. I have no doubt that Shirley will do the same."

Cowes resident Robertson commented "I'm excited to be joining a great team at a great event, which will be one of the first regattas in a very busy summer for Cowes."

Robertson is not the only Olympic medallist in the fleet, as GBR Challenge's Jo Richards - Olympic Bronze medallist in the Flying Dutchman Class at the 1984 games - will be sailing on board Menenes for the regatta. Menenes, a Swan 441, won her class in 1999 and came second overall to Jacobite. Graham Deegan, whose wife Libby will be helming, commented: "It's great to have Jo on board as he's one of the top tacticians around and will help us to be a competitive entry."

Results and regular updates of the racing will be posted on
www.swanregattas.com