STAMM Wins IMOCA World Championship Title

Switzerland’s Bernard STAMM on his Cheminées Poujoulat boat has won the 2007 IMOCA World Championship title at the end of a cliff-hanger season.

STAMM finished ahead of fellow countryman Dominique WAVRE (Temenos) and the winner of the Barcelona World Race, Frenchman Jean-Pierre DICK (Paprec-Virbac)

In autumn 2007, with two races remaining in the IMOCA World Championship series (The Barcelona World Race and the Transat Jacques Vabre), none of the leaders could take anything for granted. STAMM, wreathed in the glory of his implacable win in the VELUX 5 OCEANS, still had to hold off the attacks of Frenchman Jean LE CAM, the World Championship titleholder, WAVRE and DICK.

With a third place on the podium of the Transat Jacques Vabre, Cheminées Poujoulat finally increased its lead sufficiently to win the world title for the second time in the history of the IMOCA championship (STAMM also won in 2003).

STAMM takes over from LE CAM as the seventh IMOCA champion. No doubt the competition will remain ferocious in the coming years to win the title.

“It is the fruit of the long and stringent work we have done with my team with the loyal support of my partners, in particular Cheminées Poujoulat and Banque Landolt. I am very happy and proud of this title and I want to share it fully with them,” said STAMM when his victory was announced.

WAVRE commented, “I am very satisfied to have achieved second position in this championship, a position I would like to share with Michèle PARET, co-skipper on the Barcelona World Race, my technical team and especially my sponsor Temenos who have been at my side for many years now. This championship is proof of the internationalization of an IMOCA class now developing rapidly”.

Third place finisher DICK added, “I’m really proud to be on the podium again, it’s a fantastic story we’re writing with Paprec and Virbac! This is the icing on the cake of a great series with the Barcelona [first] and the Rhum [third]. The team is also really proud to have achieved these results with two different boats! [Virbac Paprec 1 and Paprec Virbac 2]”.

Top Five Ranking

1- Bernard STAMM (SUI), Cheminées Poujoulat – 124 points
2- Dominique WAVRE (SUI), Temenos – 114 points
3- Jean-Pierre DICK (FRA), Paprec-Virbac – 112 points
4- Jean LE CAM (FRA), VM matériaux – 104 points
5- Alex THOMSON (GBR), Hugo Boss – 76 points

The full rankings of the IMOCA 2007 championship are available at www.imoca.org .