Volvo Car UK Ltd has announced at the Schroders London Boat Show that they will sponsor the 49er World Champions, Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks.

Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks will start the Olympics year as favourites to take gold in Athens after an incredibly consistent year’s sailing in 2003. They are number one in the world rankings and are the current world champions in the high performance 49er Olympic dinghy. Simon Hiscocks also won an Olympics Silver medal in Sydney sailing the 49er dinghy with Ian Barker.

Draper commented: “Volvo’s support for our campaign means we can now just get on with the training and competition, without worrying so much about funds. Along with the support we receive from the National Lottery through the RYA, the sponsorship from Volvo means we are much better placed in the build up to the Athens Games.”

Chris and Simon will become members of Volvo’s sponsorship initiative, ‘Team Volvo for life’ – consisting of some of Britain’s top sailors from Olympic sailing to the Volvo Ocean Race. Team members include Olympic Gold Medallists, Ben Ainslie, Shirley Robertson and Iain Percy, Athens 2004 medal hopeful, Paul Goodison and Volvo Ocean Race skippers, Neal and Lisa McDonald.

As ‘Team Volvo for life’ members, Chris and Simon will also work with the next generation of British sailors, supporting the Volvo RYA Keelboat Sailing Programme, the Volvo Musto Optimist Championships and the Volvo RYA Champion Club Scheme, a programme that rewards clubs who develop and encourage youth membership and youth race training.