North Sails will build O'pen BIC class sails

: CHILE : Copa Audi Mall Sport attracts 27 participants!; 30 March 2008 After a series of 3 events held throughout Chile over the 2007-2008 summer season, participation on the O’pen BIC reached new heights recently with 27 racers attending the latest Copa Audi Mall Sport, held on the Laguna Piedra Roja, Santiago, 30 March 08.

: Euro Training Camp shows growth of Class in Italy - 12-13 April 2008; The O’pen BIC Euro Training Camp showed the ongoing growth of the Class in Italy with up to 25 competitors from all over the country: ANS, Lago d’Iseo, Sulzano; Fraglia della Vela, Desenzano; Lega Nega Navale Sez. Ostia and also some participants from Genoa and Milan. Each of the young participants were keen to get some training in before the first Italian Cup event to be held at the Trofeo Accademia Navale, Livorno, 25-26 April 08

: BRAZIL: Pimaco Challenge moves to Rio de Janeiro- 12-13 April 08; After three successful events in Sao Paulo, the Pimaco Challenge has now moved to Rio de Janeiro and the second phase of this competition is now well underway. The 2nd regatta of phase two was held in great conditions with a total of 10 races completed in just two days. It will surely be a hot contest in May to decide who goes through to the final in Sao Paulo in June!

: 2008 O'Pen Bic Mid-Winters; A.K.A. The "Un-Regatta" Mid Winters While the big kids were playing down in Key West, the first O’Pen BIC Mid-Winter Championship, hosted by Shake-A-Leg Miami and part of the Caviglia Blue Water Classic, came off as a resounding success. Thirty-seven kids under age 17 loved the simple rules and unconventional format of the O’Pen BIC “Un-Regatta”, and most importantly, excelled at Rule Number One: Have Fun. Conditions ranged from sunny 4-9 knots on Saturday to cloudy 6-15 knots on Sunday.

: "Blue boat" Prize 2007 awarded to the O'pen Bic; Paris, 1st December 2007: On the occasion of the 47th International Boat Show in Paris, Bic Sport was honoured to receive the “Blue boat” Prize from the hands of the French Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Planning and Development, Mr Jean-Louis Borloo, for its O'pen Bic.

: Open Challenge Tests Junior Sailors; 2 boats, 7 sailors, 25 mile circumnavigation ! Seven sailors from Tortola, BVI set themselves the challenge of sailing around Tortola to raise money for a local sailing program.

: O'pen Bic Pimaco Challenge; Fernando Cardial, from Ilhabela, wins the first Pimaco O'pen Challenge 24-25 November 2007By Valéria Corbucci

: O'pen BIC achieves ISAF Recognised Status; In the final days of the 2007 ISAF Annual Conference at Estoril, Portugal, the ISAF Council confirmed its Recognised Class Status for the O’pen BIC.

: First Events for 2008 confirmed !; We are pleased to confirm that the French Sailing Federation, the US and Dutch National Class Associations have confirmed the first events of the 2008 O’pen BIC Event Calendar!

: Italian O’pen Cup - Sunshine, light winds and Italian hospitality make for a great event!!; 8-9 September 07: The second largest O’pen Cup of the 2007 European summer season took place on Lake Iseo, at Associazione Nautica Sebina (http://www.ansebina.it ) in the North of Italy. Magnificent sunshine and light winds (Force 1-3) greeted the 25 competitors and gave true justice to the beautiful location. While most of the competitors were locals from ANS, young sailors also travelled from Portugal, Holland and the Isola d’Elba (Italy) in order to compete in this event.

January 10, 2008, Milford, CT - North Sails and the O'pen BIC Class Association announced today that North Sails has been selected to build the sails for the O'pen BIC. The O'pen BIC, which received official class recognition by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) in November 2007, is a 2.75 meter long (9-foot) one-design dinghy that is gaining momentum around the world with large fleets in the United States, Italy, France and South America. The first North sails should be delivered with the boat from late Spring 2008 onwards.

"North Sails is always interested in supporting and promoting youth sailing," said Tom Whidden, CEO of North Marine Group. "Our goal of partnering with the O'pen BIC class is to help grow youth sailing by working with a boat design that is fun and competitive for young sailors. In addition to being a great design with its open cockpit and modern equipment, the O'pen BIC is manufactured using a low energy/emissions technique with materials that are potentially recyclable, which reinforces the importance of recycling and keeping our environment as clean and healthy as possible," concluded Whidden.

"BIC Sport is very excited to work with North Sails on the O’pen BIC," said Peter Durham, Chairman of the International Class Association. "As the world leader in sailing, North Sails will ensure the highest quality product, the closest possible respect of One Design parameters and a strong sales & marketing partner that can help us boost worldwide awareness of the class," concluded Durham.