Coming close to victory, the Okalys-Corum team finally wins a brilliant silver medal. Antonio Calce, CEO of Corum watches, announces with emotion and pride the final result of the Okalys-Corum team at the Grand Prix Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne. The team of Nicolas Grange, owner and skipper, with Loïck Peyron at the helm of the Decision 35, wins a brilliant second place on the podium of the Challenge Julius Baer.
Talent, motivation and collaboration are the keywords, which built up the team’s strength during this competition on Lake Léman. The team members have been actively supported by Corum’s 160 employees’ encouragement. With this second place win on the podium, the Okalys-Corum team offers a real reward to the collaborators of the watchmaking brand of La Chaux-de-Fonds.
The last stage of the Challenge Julius Baer, the Grand Prix Beau-Rivage, promised to be one of the most challenging; a weekend with key races and a guaranteed place on the podium for Okalys-Corum, who shared the top three with Alinghi SUI-1 and Foncia. The challenge of the race on the waters of Lake Geneva depended on tactics, team spirit and the wind, which all would seal the final standing of the Okalys-Corum team. At the end of the ‘09 season’s seven races, the three winning teams who would pit their strength against each other for first place on the podium, were already known, with Alinghi at the head (8 points), followed by Okalys-Corum (10 points) and finally Foncia (13 points). Only two points separated our team from the defending champion. The victory was announced as very difficult and challenging. Even if Okalys-Corum won the Grand-Prix Beau-Rivage Palace, Alinghi SUI-I needed to also receive a bad score and lose their advance of the two points that they had in the general classification. A weekend full of suspense spellbound the spectators on the docks of Ouchy.
At the end of the Grand Prix Beau-Rivage, one of the most challenging races, Chief Executive Officer of CORUM, Antonio Calce said:
I am very proud of the team’s accomplishment. If we look at the two winning teams of the Challenge Julius Baer, we can see that the team Okalys-Corum is composed predominantly of semi-professional but passionate sailors who challenged exclusive professional navigators comprising the well-known Alinghi team. At the end of the Challenge Julius Baer, Okalys-Corum and Alinghi recorded the same number of points, the same number of victories. To decide who the winner was between both teams, the number of second places received during the season was the deciding factor. We missed the victory by a hair’s-breath. Even though my feelings remain very positive, because I consider the team Okalys-Corum won its victory, I feel a little frustration for the first place that was just missed. This is the nature of the sport.
A true link exists between Corum and the team Okalys-Corum. Their stellar performances are not only due to professional competence but also thanks to their veritable passion and team spirit. This passion and this spirit have permitted Corum and the Okalys-Corum team to hoists themselves to the top of their fields.
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This project has been truly unifying from the beginning for all employees of the brand. A true symbiosis was established with the Okalys-Corum team thanks to our common values. I would like to once more thank my team who were present at each event of the Challenge and the sailors of Okalys-Corum who competed during this season. We are looking forward to the next season, and the continuation of this wonderful adventure.
Nicolas Grange, owner and skipper of Decision D35 Okalys-Corum, reveals his impressions after the last race of the season:
It was a very good season for the Okalys-Corum team. We had the chance to sail with Loïck Peyron who supported our team of passionate sailing amateurs. The coaching, the training and the means were different than for a professional team like Alinghi. We also had to manage many changes during the season due to professional obligations. Considering these elements, we are really proud of our performances and moreover we are proud to achieve the same number of points (12) as the winner of the America’s Cup. The most important thing for us is to enjoy the pleasure of sailing!
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In perfect harmony with the CORUM credo: “Where there is passion, great achievements are within reach”, this victory proves that only projects which are supported by strong values can succeed. In a difficult economical context, quality of human relationships are the key of success for society. The sport partnerships developed by Corum breathe a new energy and strength in the brand’s sails, and allow each employee to identify themselves with the victories and accomplishments of the athletes.
