SLAM aboard the winning Groupama 4

SLAM aboard the winning Groupama 4 © Yann Riou / Groupama Sailing Team

In the ninth and final offshore leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, a historic moment was born not only for the French yacht, but also for Italy, represented by SLAM, the Genovese company and official supplier of technical clothing for the team. Coming in second in that final offshore leg from Lorient, in Brittany, to Galway, Groupama 4 have won the 2011-2012 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, one of the most important worldwide sailing events, together with the America’s Cup.

President of SLAM, Carla Gardino stated, “We’re truly proud to have contributed to the achievement of this result that represents a milestone in the history of sailing and of SLAM. With their hard work, Franck Cammas’s team has given us all a great joy. Thanks to the team’s constant feedback and to the skills of SLAM’s Research & Development department, we have achieved an extremely high level of performance in the production of ocean oilskins, proving that shared effort, tenacity, and ambition are the fundamental ingredients for anyone who wishes to aim for the highest results. A big thank you goes to Franck Cammas, his team, and all those who contributed to the endeavour, adding an unforgettable page to the story of sports history.”

After Groupama 3’s conquest of the Jules Verne Trophy SLAM developed and created a new line of state-of-the-art ocean oilskins, with the aim of helping the team tackle this round-the-world trip to the best of their ability.

SLAM’s work was widely appreciated by the team, as Frank Cammas states, “We want to thank you for all the effort that has been put in to developing the oilskins. Even if it wasn’t always easy, we’ve reached a product level that we believe to be better than that of any other competitor in terms of offshore garment technical details and fabric performance. And as for the inshore garments, many say they’ve become a must!”

Having already won at the America’s Cup with BMW ORACLE Racing, SLAM has expanded its prestigious laurels in winning the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 with Groupama 4. This sponsorship was crucial to continuing the development of the “OFFSHORE” technical line, specifically designed to overcome the difficult tests set by the oceans and extreme, long-lasting regattas, and it has brought about new improvements both in terms of fabrics and details. The regatta was extremely difficult, with terrible marine weather conditions alternating with equatorial calms and flat seas. Gusting winds and towering waves lashed the decks of the boats that were pitched at terrifying speeds. The combination of these factors tested all the crews and vessels to their limit.

SLAM is proud to have been the only Italian company of technical clothing that participated in the Volvo Ocean Race, bringing – in its own small way – a bit of honour to Italy, and demonstrating that Italian research, like in many other fields, is very active in the field of sailing, insofar as regards the research of technical and technological excellence.

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