Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

Stena Line moves into top gear with Rally Ireland sponsorship

Stena Line, Europe’s leading ferry company, is firmly in the driving seat with the announcement that the company will be the Official Ferry Partner of Rally Ireland which will be staged this November

As one of the key sponsors of Rally Ireland, Stena Line will be transporting works teams over to Ireland from Great Britain, including the BP Ford team, ‘Flying Finn’ Marcus Grönholm, who is currently leading the World Championship, and the Citroën WRC team which is lead by reigning champion Sebastien Loeb. Other teams competing include Subaru and Mitsubishi.

Rally Ireland is round 15 of the 2007 FIA World Rally Championships (WRC) and will take place over the weekend of 15 to 18 November 2007. The event will open with a Super Special Stage at Stormont, Northern Ireland’s Parliament Buildings, on the Thursday evening before competitors will tackle stages in eight Irish counties, throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Stena Line’s Head of Travel Marketing Paul Grant stated that he was thrilled to work alongside the organisers of this year’s WRC round in Ireland. He said: “Stena Line is pleased to be involved with Rally Ireland as the WRC comes to Irish shores for the 1st time. This world-class sporting event provides an excellent opportunity for us to showcase Ireland as a top destination for tourists as well as an extremely important area within Stena Line’s extensive freight network.”

He added, “With the competition too close to call between Marcus Grönholm and Citroën’s Sebastien Loeb, Rally Ireland will prove to be an exciting penultimate round of the 2007 season and, who knows, the new world champion may be crowned in Ireland.”

Event Promoter Ronan Morgan has welcomed Stena Line on board for this year’s Rally Ireland and he believes that the ferry company’s logistical support will help the rally run smoothly.

He said, "Rally Ireland’s partnership with Stena Line means that competitors and visitors to the event in November are assured of a hearty welcome from the moment their journey begins.

“We want to see Rally Ireland as a long-term fixture on the World Rally Championship calendar and with the support of Stena Line in making this a memorable event for all concerned, we are on course to achieve this objective."

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Notes to editors:

Every year more than 17 million people travel with Stena Line, the largest ferry operator in Europe and one of the largest in the world. The company operates Europe’s most comprehensive route network, with 34 vessels on 18 strategically located routes in Scandinavia and the UK.

In the UK alone, Stena Line offers over 30 daily crossings on its five different routes to Ireland - Stranraer to Belfast, Fleetwood to Larne, Holyhead to Dublin, Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire and Fishguard to Rosslare - as well as two daily crossings on its Harwich to Hook of Holland route providing fast and efficient crossings with excellent onboard services and facilities.

For further press information please contact:
Richard Rigby
Senior Account Executive
bgb communications
5th Floor
Capital Tower
91 Waterloo Road
London
SE1 8RT
020 7902 2990
http://www.stenaline.co.uk/