Global Ocean Race Leg 3 Luminox Cape Horn Photo Competition

Voting is now open for public judging of the Global Ocean Race (GOR) Leg 3 Luminox Cape Horn Photographic Competition. Votes can be submitted by visiting the Luminox Facebook gallery of onboard images taken by the Class40 skippers during Leg 3 through the high latitudes of the Pacific Ocean, around Cape Horn and through the South Atlantic from Wellington, New Zealand, to Punta del Este, Uruguay. Offshore racing fans can vote for their favourite photograph by clicking the ‘Like’ icon in the Luminox Facebook gallery.

Watches from the GOR’s Official Time Keeper and sponsor, Luminox, have already been won by virtual sailors in the GOR’s online game and now the GOR skippers have a chance to win watches for the team supplying the best Cape Horn-related photograph. Before the start of Leg 3 in Wellington, Luminox supplied each team member with a Steel Colormark watch – a rugged design with self-powered, high-visibility illumination on the hands and numerals that has found favour with high-risk sports competitors.

Since the Class40s crossed the finish line, Luminox has narrowed the field of photographs to six potential winners, of which the final winner maybe featured in a Luminox advertisement or catalogue. The Luminox Cape Horn photo competition prize winner will be presented with a Luminox Yachting Countdown Timer watch following the Leg 3 Prize Giving in the Conrad Hotel on 28 March in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

The GOR-involvement by Luminox goes beyond just branding and time keeping. Andre Bernheim, co-owner of Luminox, has been racing keelboats for over 30 years at European and World Championship-level: “What the Global Ocean Race sailors are doing when racing around the world on their 40ft yachts is still beyond my imagination and I wouldn’t have the courage to do anything similar,” says Bernheim. “It is high adrenaline, pure adventure and reserved for a few people around the globe who dare to put their lives at such risks,” he adds. “All this fits perfectly with the brand statement of Luminox.”

Luminox watches have a reputation for rugged reliability – characteristics that have made the watches the choice of the US Navy SEALs, US Air Force, underwater explorer and combat diver, Scott Cassell, and many police, firemen and rescue services around the globe. “Beside this, Luminox fits perfectly to the equipment these sailors need,” Bernheim continues. “Allowing them to read the time all the time, day and night, which is guaranteed by Luminox's Always Visible Technology up to 25 years,” he explains. “Luminox, therefore, is one piece of the essential gear which the sailors are wearing which is the message of our brand in various areas of Sea, Air and Land,” says Bernheim. “Luminox are built for extreme conditions and if they are good enough for these extreme sportsmen sailing around the globe, it is certainly good for the rest of us.”

What the GOR skippers have to say about their Luminox watches:

Conrad Colman (Class40 Cessna Citation NZL): “It’s great to be able to count on such rugged equipment at the ends of the earth. Sailing such in a technical sport, our boat maintenance is critical as we race around the world. With a long work list on our boats it’s nice to be able to depend on our timepieces!”

Adrian Kuttell (Class40 Cessna Citation RSA): “The Southern Ocean is a dark and dreary place. The nights are as dark as the bottom of a coal mine as every star is concealed behind a thick layer of cloud that stretches from horizon to horizon. It is impossible to estimate the passage of time. My Luminox watch provided a crystal clear luminous display that enabled me to accurately time my manoeuvers over the course of a session on deck, ensuring that I did not expend my energy or body heat too quickly, and that I performed at optimal levels. Without my Luminox watch I would have been lost in the darkness.”

Marco Nannini (Class40 Financial Crisis ITA): “I have never had a reliable watch before and the Luminox Steel Colormark was perfect for use offshore and is unostentatious for wearing onshore. It’s very rare that a watch can work well and feel right whether you are at 60 degrees South in the Pacific Ocean, or having cocktails on a yacht club lawn!”

Hugo Ramon (Class40 Financial Crisis ESP): “Throughout my sailing career I’ve worn many watches which are usually, large and cumbersome. With all the electronic instrumentation on modern racing yachts, there is no need for big watch with hundreds of functions and alarms. My Luminox Steel Colormark does everything that is needed on board and can be worn ashore without looking out of place.

Nick Leggatt (Class40 Phesheya-Racing RSA): “Total darkness in the middle of a cloudy night in the frigid Southern Ocean. A violent gale lashing the boat and whipping giant waves across the deck. We cling to the deck while fighting to tame the flogging sails. Timing is critical and the bright face of the Luminox watch makes it easy to react with precision while still keeping both hands free for work and safety.”

Phillippa Hutton-Squire (Class40 Phesheya-Racing RSA): “During our long night hours at sea, our Luminox watches light up making it clear and easy to see the time. We are able to tell when we should be filling in the log book on the hour and when I should be waking Nick up for is next watch.”