Gazprom International Named Publicity Partner Of The 2013 Dragon World Championship

Gazprom International's association with sailing is already well established and in supporting this event they continue their long association with the major events of the International Dragon Class, the biggest, most prestigious, historic and competitive keelboat class in the world.

Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy will host the championship, which will be sailed from 5-13 September on Weymouth Bay, the scene of the sailing regattas of the 2012 London Olympiad. To compete at the 2013 Gazprom International Dragon World Championship teams must qualify through selection series organised by their national classes or through the International Dragon Ranking List. As a result only the very best crews in the world are entitled to take part ensuring competition is of the highest level. Teams from Australia, Russia, Ukraine, USA, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, France, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and across the UK are expected to attend including many America's Cup, Olympic, World, Continental and National Champions and defending Dragon World Champion and Olympic Bronze Medallist Lawrie Smith.

On confirming the promotional support Valery Gulev, Director General of Gazprom International commented, commented.  "We are greatly honoured to be the Publicity Partner of the World Championship in Dragon Class - the most acclaimed and widespread class in Russia as well as the rest of the world. Support of the sports events is a part of our global project ECONET, which includes a number of programs and initiatives concerning environmental protection, industrial safety and corporate social responsibility. We hope that it is a great start of a long shared journey!"

Also supporting the event will be Aberdeen Asset Management, the British Dragon Association's long-standing class sponsor, continuing their involvement with the International Dragon Class.  Aberdeen Asset Management is a global investment management group, managing assets for both institutional and retail clients from offices around the world.

On announcing the sponsorships, British Dragon Association Chairman Martin Makey commented, "We are delighted to welcome Gazprom International aboard for the 2013 Dragon Worlds. Their support of the Dragon Class and International Dragon events has been invaluable in recent years and we are proud to be working with them again for the most important event in the Dragon calendar. We're also very proud to have the ongoing involvement of our British Dragon Association Sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management, who have supported the Dragon fleet for more than 10 years and continue to be a most valued partner."

For further information about the 2013 Gazprom International Dragon World Championship please visit www.dragonworlds2013.org or contact

Fiona Brown, BDA Press Officer

fiona.brown@fionabrown.com / +44 7711 718470  

Notes For Editors

About The International Dragon

The Dragon is one of the most beautiful and prestigious keelboat classes in the world and with more than 1400 boats racing in at least 26 countries around the globe it is also one of the largest.  Designed in 1929 the Dragon quickly became a leading international class and remains a world leader.

Although an historic class the boats now being built are constructed using the very latest high technology materials and methods and around 50 new boats are launched each year.  Careful class rule management has helped to ensure that a well maintained classic boat can still race competitively against its modern counterpart and all major championships include special trophies for classic Dragons.  For further information about the International Dragon please visit  www.intdragon.net andwww.britishdragons.org. 

About Gazprom International

Gazprom International is the sole operator of the foreign upstream projects of the Russia's gas giant Gazprom. Today, the company implements more than 30 projects in 15 countries around the world. All the projects are concerned with the upstream of hydrocarbon both on land and in the sea.

For more information, please visit gazprom-international.com

About Aberdeen Asset Manangement

Aberdeen - simply asset management

Aberdeen is an independent asset management company. Formed out of a management buy-out in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1983, it is now a FTSE 100 company operating on-the-ground in over 23 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Defined by a pure focus on asset management, including equities, fixed income, property and multi-asset portfolios, Aberdeen's investment solutions are driven by commitment to straightforward, transparent investment approaches that stress intensive, first-hand research and a long-term view.

As at 31 March 2013, the company manages assets of £212 billion ($322 billion/€251 billion) on behalf of institutional and private investors.

Aberdeen participates in sponsorships where it can get actively involved and make a difference to an event, individual or team. Aberdeen's current sport sponsorship portfolio includes properties across golf, sailing, rugby, hockey and rowing. The group is also involved with a number of cultural and arts sponsorships.

To find out more about Aberdeen's capabilities visit: www.aberdeen-asset.com

To find out more about Aberdeen's sponsorships visit: www.aberdeen-asset.com/aam.nsf/AboutUs/sponsorship

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