The night of November 10 marked an important event in Torben Grael’s life as he was announced the winner of the 2009 ISAF Rolex Sailor of the Year Award at the Busan Yacht Club in Haeundae-Gu, South Korea after having being nominated five times. Torben Grael emerged a winner from amongst the talented nominees like Pascal Bidégorry (FRA), Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA), Paul Goodison (GBR) and Nathan Outteridge (AUS). The awards that are given each year are recognized as the highest honor for a sailor. The achievements were taken into account for a period beginning September 1, 2008 to August 31, 2009. The ceremony was filled with excitement as none could guess until the names were pulled out of the envelope as to who would win the prestigious award. The stories of achievement and commitment of all the nominees were told during the ceremony.

The 49 year old has mastered the Olympics, Offshore and Match Race sailing and has displayed his talent with consistent performance time and again. According to Torben Grael the three highlights of his long career have been winning the Olympic gold medals, the Louis Vuitton Cup and the latest addition of the Volvo Ocean Race. His achievements earned him the coveted Rolex Sailor of the Year award. The marble and silver trophy was presented to him by HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark along with Lionel Schurch of Rolex SA. In addition to the honor bestowed by the trophy Torben Grael was also awarded a Rolex Yacht-Master timepiece. Rolex recognizes as well as rewards the best in the world of sports. The winners of Rolex events are determined by a series of competitions that bring together the best talent of the world.

Torben Grael earned the nickname of “Turbine� for his nautical achievements that include five Olympic medals, multiple world championships along with the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000. Torben Grael was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil and most recently added the achievement of winning the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race. At his second Volvo Ocean Race Torben Grael skippered his Ericsson 4 team to a podium finish in eight out of ten total legs in the race. Of all the seven offshore scoring gates the Ericsson 4 team was in the top three and also finished on the podium for three of the seven in-port races that accumulated them a final 84% of the total points available. Torben Grael and his team entered the record books for setting the 24-hour Monohull World Record by sailing a phenomenal 596.6 nm at an average speed of 24.85 knots during the race on October 29. The Ericsoon 4 team was the undisputed winner of the Volvo Ocean Race after sailing 40,000 nautical miles and crossing the finishing line with a nine-point lead.

Torben Grael also has the achievement of establishing the Instituto Rumo Náutico with his brothers Lars and Axel Grael outside of racing. The institute in Brazil is also known as “The Grael Project�. The program is designed to offer underprivileged children social and educational opportunities through nautical experiences, while expanding their access to sailing, rowing and canoeing, and promoting the maritime culture amongst the youth. His immediate plan for the future include performing in Star Worlds in Rio de Janeiro where he has been sailing for long.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is one of the many events sponsored by Rolex every year. The 20^th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup started this year on the 6^th of September and is going to last till the 12^th of the same month. It is organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and with each new day, the expectations of the spectators are soaring high. The event has a history of enthralling the spectators to the maximum possible limit.

The Day 2 of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009 event started with a bright and clear sky and the wind backed a little to the north but the state of the sea remained as large and lumpy as the first day. Day 2 turned out to be quite delightful for the fans of the US racers just as Day 1. In the battle of Mini Maxi owner/drivers, Hap Fauth and his Bella Menta won the third position snuffing out the New Zealand racer Neville Crichton and his Alfa Romeo. The American racer is participating in the event for the very first time although he took quite some time in making an entry into the racing event. Before the onset of the event, the mightiest contest was expected in the Mini Maxi Division the expectations of the spectators were fulfilled to the greatest extent. The forty-four boat fleet is expected to be equally compelling since it features some of the titans like Albert Buell and his 45.19 meter Saudade and Hasso Plattner and his 45.52 meter Visione.

The Maxi Yacht Cup is one of the most awaited events of the year and in spite of having a shorter life span it had managed to reach a position that other racing events crave for. Racers from all over the world come to the beautiful city of Porto Cervo, Italy and experience an event that leaves them enchanted for the rest of the year.

Even in the period where most of the numbers are seen dropping very where, the big boat event of this season experienced a rise in the number of both participants and spectators. Some of the world’s finest sailors like the Italian Patrizio Bertelli and the Olympic Champions Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael have participated in this power-packed sporting event and are going to battle it over with their finest yachts and magnificent crew members.

Like any other sporting event, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009 ends with a final Prize giving ceremony and a Closing Cocktail where the winners from all the divisions will be awarded with the cups and the time pieces from the house of Rolex.

With an aim to deliver the best wrist watches as well as inspiring the world to pursue a greater ambition, Rolex lends it unwavering support to the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Since the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup has had the timeless tradition of bringing out the best sailors across the globe, Rolex feels proud in promoting and being a part of it.

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009 started off on a high note for the American racers and their fans as the hugely awaited regatta went underway. The Rolex sponsored event is a high point of the regatta season and is counted among the most significant events prompted by Rolex. For Rolex being involved with an event like sailing and accompanying thrills is a way of offering men the chance to dream of greater things and get a platform to work hard and realize those dreams too. Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009 is an example that very categorically demonstrates the values and philosophies Rolex has always stood for.

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009 is among the most awaited events for various reasons. In a comparatively shorter lifespan it has managed to catch the fancy of the sailors and the fans alike. It offers a chance for an adventure on the sea and the waves which to many may look hostile but to people who have an urge to live those moments where life appears to have stopped for them to allow them to live a lifetime in those moments nothing can even come close to riding on a wave on a yacht. It is precisely this thrill and this feeling that brings together the best sailors from across the world to the city of Porto Cervo on the Italian island of Sardinia.

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009 being organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda started off on 6^th September and would continue till the 12^th of this month. The race involves testing one’s skills on a 35 mile long course which is among the most intriguing courses in the world. This year’s race was expected to be difficult and highly competitive due to the participation of past and present champions of multiple regattas. From Italy’s star sailor Patrizio Bertelli to Olympic champions Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael to Frenchman Jean Charles Decaux and American Hap Fauth, they all were there and the first day of racing lived up to the expectations of every fan from all over the world.

The races have been divided into five different divisions with each of these having its own share of competition and fame involved. The first day was witness to some really challenging conditions as the 42 participating yachts sailed out in to the course under a northeasterly wind flowing at 20 to 25 knots. It became quite obvious that it was going to be a challenging day for the sailors and that’s precisely how it turned out to be.

The first race division to start was the Mini Maxi which was also the first one to finish. It had some really big names vouching for the top honors and the results were really amazing too. Luna Rossa from Italy with Patrizio Bertelli, Robert Scheidt and Torben Grael took the first place on corrected time and were followed by Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente. A podium finish was expected from the US team and by coming second they ensured their fans got what they were expecting.

The way Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009 is turning out to be is exactly what Rolex takes pride in by promoting an event like the popular regatta.