Breitling Donates $150,000 to St Jude

Breitling recently presented St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with a $150,000 donation to support the hospital’s groundbreaking research and life-saving care.

“Breitling wanted to make a bigger impact in the support of one important cause in its charitable giving in order to really make a difference," said Marie Bodman, president of Breitling. "When I visited St. Jude with Tom Liljenquist, who made us aware of the hospital’s work, I saw first hand the tremendous hope and life-saving care given to children and their families when facing these grave illnesses.”

Liljenquist of Liljenquist & Beckstead Jewelers, Washington, D.C., attended the ceremony on behalf of Breitling along with Clark Sweat, vice-President, Corporate and Leadership Giving of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude.

“Breitling’s generous donation to St. Jude exemplifies dedication to our partnership, Sweat said. "Because of compassionate corporate partners like Breitling, St. Jude is able to provide unsurpassed patient care to children battling cancer and other diseases regardless of the family’s ability to pay."

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization.

Breitling Regatta commences with Mean Machine hoping for a new Gold Cup

Peter de Ridder, tactician Ray Davies and crew will be battling it out on the waves to regain the Golden Cap, bestowed upon the winners of the Breitling Regatta.

Mean Machine Valle Romano starts the second race in the Breitling Medcup as leader in the Corinthian class and in second place in the overall rankings, just 8 points away from José Cusí’s Bribon.

Puerto Portals, the Mean Machine Valle Romano team base for this regatta is the epicentre of sailing activity in the Mediterranean this week with the celebration of the 13^th Breitling Regatta. Last year’s winners, Mean Machine Valle Romano are one of the firm favourites for this event, which sees a record number of TP 52s hitting the start line. There will be 24 entries, among them some new designs such as Russell Coutts Artemis, José Cusí’s Bribon, Roberto Bermúdez and the new Caixa Galicia, Fernando León’s Cam and Vasco Vascotto’s Mutua.

For the team sponsored by the Spanish Golf Resort of Valle Romano, this second sail date in the Breitling Mecup Circuit is a very important one. As well as coming to the event as the 2006 Breitling Regatta winners the team’s also getting back to its original configuration for this regatta.

But Peter de Ridder knows this year’s Circuit is going to be particularly tough given the high standard of the entries: “Coming to this regatta in Mallorca as the 2006 winners doesn't mean anything special to me. It's just another race in the Breitling Medcup 2007 Circuit where we have to try to be consistent and put in another good result”.

Louis Vuitton Cup winners Ray Davies, Tony Rae, Joe Allen, Jono Macbeth, Tom Dodson and Stu Betanny are back on board the TP 52 founded and skippered by Dutchman Peter de Ridder.
Ray Davies, tactician on Mean Machine Valle Romano, followed the first regatta closely, despite being tied up with his America’s Cup commitments: “The level of the game is pushing forward at every event. This year it’s going to be much harder to win, the new boats and teams are sailing at a much higher level. We will give it our best shot though! It feels a lot like the AC rule in that the top boats are getting closer to the top of the pyramid of performance and the best team at the end of the day will win”.

The Breitling Regatta started today with a training race. Then Mean Machine Valle Romano will line up with the rest of the mighty fleet for three days of windward-leeward racing and one coastal regatta on Saturday July 21^st in the outskirts of the Bay of Palma.

Helena de la Gándara.

Americas Cup: Breitling or Rolex, which watch maker will take over from Louis Vuitton

Valencia will be announced as the host for the America’s Cup, on Wednesday, of that there is no doubt. This evening’s meeting between Alinghi chief, Ernesto Bertarelli, and Spanish President, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, simply fortified the accord.

Leaving aside the ongoing need to resolve disagreements over the protocol of the 33^rd America’s Cup, the question that remains is “Who will inherit Louis Vuitton’s mantle as title sponsor for the selection of the final challenger?”

So far, Rolex has been on every lip, but BYM News sources, in Valencia, say there is no guarantee that the challenger series will be for a Rolex Cup. Another watch maker, Brietling, which also has a big presence in Mediterranean regattas, is also pushing hard to be accepted as title sponsor!

A History of Breitling Watches

1884 - In St. Imier, in the Jura mountains of Switzerland, Leon Breitling opens a workshop specialising in making chronographs and precision counters for scientific and industrial purposes. In 1914 Leon Breitling dies and the company is passed over to his son Gaston, a year later Gaston creates the first wristwatch chronograph and subsequently provides pilots with the first wrist instruments. By 1923 Breitling had developed the first ever independent chronograph pushpiece.

Gastons son, Willy Breitling takes over control of the company in 1932 and in 1936 Breitling becomes the official supplier to the Royal Air Force. The Chronomat is introduced in 1942 - the first chronograph to be fitted with a circular slide rule. The company also widens its professional clientele to include the American armed forces. 1954 saw the creation of the Navitimer, a wrist instrument equipped with the famous navigation computer. This super chronograph becomes a firm favourite among the pilots across the globe. By this stage, Breitling is already supplying the major international airlines with cockpit clocks. In 1962, Astronaut Scott Carpenter wears the Cosmonaught chronograph during his orbital fligh aboard the Aurora 7 space capsule.

1969 saw Breitling introduce the first ever self winding chronograph. This technical feat represents a major breakthrough for the entire swiss watch industry. 1979 saw the takeover of Breitling from the founders grandson Willy. Ernest Schneider takes the helm. in 1984 The Chronomat is launched and marks the return of the chronograph. It becomes the best selling line in the Breitling collection, a position it has held ever since. Soon afterwards in 1985, the Breitling Aerospace is launched.

Today, Breitling is still established in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the town where Leon Breitling opened his first chronograph factory 110 years earlier.

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