Knut Frostad, former skipper of Kvaerner Innovation and djuice dragons, has bought ex-Banque Covefi and is going to join the Nordic trimaran circus Nokia Oops Cup this season. The tri is going to be re-launched as ‘Academy’ and Frostad has rounded up a selection of his former round the world sponsors to come aboard as partners in a leader and team development programme.

Frostad commented: ” I am really looking forward too sailing fast in the Norwegian and Nordic waters with Academy. Our aim for the first season in Nokia Oops Cup is to learn more about trimaran sailing and give our partners value for their money.”

After he stepped ashore in Kiel after finishing Volvo Ocean Race with his pink djuice dragon, Frostad has sailed as crew for Thomas Coville on Sodebo in the ORMA circus. It is with great joy he now steps up the ladder and again becomes skipper, this time on the ex-Banque Covefi.

This time the partners in Academy get to sail the trimaran in most of the special races organised prior to the Pro Races. Academy’s main object is to function as a platform for team- and leadership training. Knut Frostad has used his experience as two-time skipper round the world to build up a course based on The Human Element theory in partnership with Swedish management consultants, Tropé & Schneede AB.

Frostads sports and marketing company Dragonhead hope to sail the boat to Oslo, Norway in the end of April so the next couple of weeks are going to be extremely busy for the skipper. Frostad continued: We are very happy that we managed to buy Banque Covefi and we are looking forward to sailing her against the two Swedish and one Danish team in Nokia Oops Cup. We also have great expectations that Atlant, the managing firm of Nokia Oops Cups, will get a fifth team too join the cup. If that happens the Nordic trimaran circus will be almost half the size of this years ORMA fleet, says Frostad.

“In the next four weeks we have too get ‘Academy’ bright and shiny in her new colours on the water. It will require a lot of work and I will spend most of my time in Lorient to make sure that the work is going as planned.