Anchors Away as UPS Delivers RIB-Boats to London 2012 Olympic Sailing Venue

London, June 21, 2010

UPS has completed delivery of the first set of safety and competition officials' lifeboats to the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, which will serve as the host venue for London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games sailing events.

The twenty-one rigid inflatable boats (RIBs), which have been transported from Valencia, Spain where they were deployed during the 33rd America's Cup, will play an active part in all of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games sailing events to ensure the highest standards of safety during each stage of competition.

The delivery represents the first step in the complex logistical operation, which UPS is managing, to ensure every piece of sailing equipment is ready and accounted for by the time the first sails are set on the opening day of competition in 2012. The scale of a shipment such as this utilises many of UPS's specialist freight operations, and UPS's extensive global network ensures that any item from any corner of the globe can be brought into the UK on time and in accordance with London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games delivery schedule.

Over the course of the next two years, UPS will transport a number of sailing items to the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in time for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, ranging from larger items such as competition boats to flags and signage to be used across the sailing venue.

UPS, as an Official Supporter of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is responsible for virtually all the distribution and logistics services for the London 2012 Games. 

Alan Williams, UPS Director London 2012 Sponsorship & Operations, said: "Organising the logistics for an event as equipment-intensive as sailing requires a lot of precision in both the planning and execution phases of delivery. Knowing that these boats will play a vital role in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games sailing events adds an extra layer of pressure, but it's a challenge we continue to relish as we count down to the Games."