BWT Alpine F1 Team Partnership with Ecowatt

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The Treble Group is proud of this new multi-year strategic partnership with Ecowatt, an investment company developing renewable energy assets and funding social impact projects.

The Ecowatt brand identity is visible on Alpine’s 2023 challenger – the A523 – in the current FIA Formula 1 World Championship season as well as on the drivers’ and race team’s overalls at all Grands Prix events in 2023.

Otmar Szafnauer, BWT Alpine F1 Team, Team Principal: “Our partnership with Ecowatt is a long-term project with ambitious targets set to reduce our carbon footprint and fast-track to net-zero emissions. We are thrilled to have Ecowatt on board.”

Ecowatt CEO Thomas Puskas: “Both Ecowatt and Alpine have continuous, rapid innovation in their DNA, so we look forward to working closely with their incredible development teams to pioneer meaningful and measurable change on the No.1 issue facing the planet.”

Treble Group UK Managing Director, Kyle Nel, looks forward to seeing the growth of this new partnership: “We are delighted to have brought this new strategic partnership to fruition. The BWT Alpine F1 Team’s is an impressive professional set-up with several world leading aspects to their business and I am sure we’ll see the same with Ecowatt’s partnership.”

About Ecowatt

Ecowatt develops and operates renewable energy power plants of varying sizes and capacities around the world, essentially increasing the much-needed supply of clean energy and carbon avoidance projects.

An addition, Ecowatt carefully selects and funds social impact projects which are holistic and sustainable. By leveraging innovative technologies, they will democratize access to green energy investment opportunities. https://ecowatt.io/

About BWT Alpine F1 Team

BWT Alpine F1 Team competes in the FIA Formula One World Championship with race winners Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. Led by Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer, the team finished fourth in the 2022 Constructors’ Championship as it continues its quest to reach the pinnacle of Formula 1.

Led by CEO Laurent Rossi, Alpine is the French-style sports car brand founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé and is now the dedicated brand for innovative, authentic and exclusive sports cars of the Renault Group. A wider Business Unit allows Alpine to benefit from the heritage and know-how of its historic Dieppe factory and the engineering expertise of BWT Alpine F1 Team, Alpine Racing and Alpine Cars teams.

Prescient Freedom Paddle Going from Strength to Strength

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CAPE TOWN – Hank McGregor and Josh Fenn convincingly claimed back their Prescient Freedom Paddle title on Thursday in a dramatic race marked by tough conditions and a rain-delayed start.

Now in its sixth year the Treble-owned property, in which sponsorship, event management, marketing and operations of the Surfski event are fully managed by our award-winning team, sees competitors paddling 27kms around the iconic Robben Island – a symbol of South Africa’s miraculous journey to democracy and freedom.

Always seeking to raise the bar with every passing year, the Treble Group, along with the organisers and sponsors, endeavoured to expand the event and make it even more accessible to a wide variety of ocean paddle crafts, while promoting shorter alternatives for the less skilled and novice paddlers.

McGregor and Fenn swept around the 27km course from Green Point’s Oceana Power Boat Club, around Robben Island and back to beat defending champion Andy Birkett, paddling with Uli Hart this year.

The veteran Cape Town pair of Jasper and Dawid Mocké finished third in spite of taking an unscheduled swim as they rounded Robben Island, where the paddlers had to negotiate some big waves.

The woman’s race was won by the Durban pairing of Michelle Burn and Saskia Hockly, who expertly utilised the downwind swell on the way back to the finish to come home ahead of Candice Murray and Kira Bester.

The organisers of the prestigious annual Freedom Day surf-ski race had earlier delayed the start by an hour because of poor visibility as a sharp wind blew a rain squall across Table Bay. But conditions had improved considerably within that time, with some sunshine even appearing as the wind eased off.

Both the men’s and women’s races were decided on the downwind run home as paddlers rode swells pushing them towards the finish.

But even before the downwind section, disaster struck for the hotly-tipped pair of Kenny Rice and Clinton Cook.

“It was about 10 to15 minutes after the start,” recalled Cook. “We were five boats in a line and we were the fourth boat. It was quite choppy and nobody’s fault, but when our tail went down their front (the boat immediately behind) came up and basically put a hole through our boat.

“I jumped out to have a look and said to Kenny that we are not going to make it around the Island … we’d probably have sunk half way there.”

As they limped home, the four other leading boats were rounding Robben Island, where misfortune struck the veteran Mocké brothers.

“We had a bit of a mishap at the back (of Robben Island) … we took a swim,” said Dawid. “A wave clipped us and we capsized and then we were in a solid fourth place, so we had to put the hammer down after that.”

He added that the conditions around the back of the island were “probably the biggest I have seen on that side”.

As the leaders turned for home McGregor and Fenn made their break.

“Just after the Island Hank said “it’s time”, and I guess that was the go signal and we put the hammer down from there,” recalled Fenn.

Birkett said he had enjoyed the testing conditions — it was a “great experience”. He added that “Hank and Josh were in a league of their own coming back. As soon as we left the island on the way back they just left all of us.”

McGregor recalled: “There were four boats going around the island together. Once we got around to the wild side the surf was big — but it was fantastic. We managed to put our nose ahead from there on the top side of the island and smoked it on the way home.

“This is our third win together, so we are really stoked.”

The women’s race panned out in similar fashion, although Burn and Hockly waited a bit longer before making their decisive break.

Burn said: “Going into the headwind on the way out was hard work. We are very light so we get thrown around a lot. By the time I got to the island I was pretty tired but thankfully I love the runs and coming home was pretty awesome. We worked really hard.”

They had, however, to overcome a “terrible start”, and Hockly said it turned out to be “one of the hardest races we have ever done.”

“Michelle’s skill is unbelievable and being able to sit behind her while she navigated the island was such a pleasure. The start wasn’t really great … we were the last boat to leave the line.”

They caught the other leading women at Robben Island. “Then it was classic dicing with Candice and Kira but at the end we managed to pull away,” said Hockly.

A total of 410 paddlers took part in the day’s various events on 258 boats.

Selected Results
Men
1 Hank Mcgregor and Joshua Fenn,
2 Ulvard Hart and Andy Birkett,
3 Jasper Mocke and Dawid Mocke.

Women
1 Michelle Burn and Saskia Hockly,
2 Candice Murray and Kira Bester,
3 Jade Wilson and Nix Birkett.

Mixed
1 Melanie Van Niekerk and Scheepers Schoem,
2 Ian Trautmann and Stephanie Von Der Heyd,
3 Angie Austin and Craig Flanagan.