SIMON LE BON the lead singer of pop legends DURAN DURAN will take up the challenge to race the maxi class yacht ARNOLD CLARK DRUM again at next week's world famous ROLEX FASTNET RACE which follows on from Skandia Cowes week.

Le Bon who along with twenty four other crew members escaped death after the yacht capsized in bad weather off the coast of Falmouth whilst competing in the 1985 Fastnet Race, will be reunited for the first time with twenty three of the original crew members. The reunion will mark the crew's 20th anniversary of Drum's last attempt at the 1985 race. A total of 15 crew will participate in the race on Sunday 7th August which starts at 11:00am. "DRUM" will be berthed at East Cowes Marina from Friday 5th August 2005 courtesy of Dean & Reddyhoff Ltd.

The "ARNOLD CLARK DRUM" crew for the 2005 Rolex Fastnet Race includes Simon Le Bon, Skip Novak, John Fitzgerald, Phil Wade, Phil Holland, Roger Nilsen, John Wooderson, Terry Gould, John Toon, John Irving, Neil Cheston, Chas From Tas, Phil Barrett, Johnny Le Bon and Chris Barker.

The yacht now renamed "ARNOLD CLARK DRUM" is owned by leading Scottish entrepreneur and businessman Sir Arnold Clark. Sir Arnold, kindly agreed to loan the yacht to Le Bon and his crew and become the primary sponsor when he heard about their plans to race again and raise awareness of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd will also be donating a car to the RNLI as part of its charity fundraising initiative.

Sir Arnold Clark is the Chairman & Chief Executive of Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd and has guided the company to its current status as the largest independent motoring group in the UK and one of the largest automotive companies in Europe.

Other primary sponsors to "ARNOLD CLARK DRUM" and its entrance into the Rolex Fastnet Race include MEESPIERSON a division of Fortis Bank, one of the world leaders and providers of wealth management, trust & corporate services and leading New Zealand property company NORTHSTAR.
The biennial Rolex Fastnet Race is considered to be one of the world's classic ocean races, the 608-mile course is a test for skippers and crews with its tricky tidal currents and changeable weather conditions. The race, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, (RORC) with the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Royal Western Yacht Club Plymouth will start on Sunday 7th August 2005, off Cowes, Isle of Wight. The Royal Ocean Racing Club's classic event will attract in the region of 275 yachts this year

Sir Arnold Clark of Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd commented; "When I heard about Simon's plans to race the yacht again with the original crew and to raise awareness of the R.N.L.I, I was absolutely delighted to offer my help and assistance. Since I acquired Drum, the yacht has become one of my biggest passions in life. Normally it's the keys to cars that I'm used to handing over to customers, not the keys to my yacht! It will be a proud moment to see her entering the race again in August. We wish Simon and the rest of the crew, the very best and look forward to seeing Drum at the finishing line"

Jacaranda Films has the exclusive rights to film on board "ARNOLD CLARK DRUM" in this year's Rolex Fastnet Race. Two camera crews, using the latest light weight cameras with night vision, will film 24 hours a day during the race. A helicopter and a RIB will cover the start of the race. A further RIB will meet the yacht as she rounds the Fastnet Lighthouse. Her return to Plymouth will also be covered by air and sea positions. The footage from on board the yacht, plus interviews with the crew and archive material from 1985 will be used to make a one hour documentary about the yacht and her crew finishing the Rolex Fastnet Race they started 20 years ago.

Simon Le Bon has taken time out of his busy touring schedule with DURAN DURAN to enter the race next week. The band who reformed in 2001 have enjoyed a hugely successful comeback since the original five members of Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor were reunited. Together they have performed to in excess of 3.5 million fans across the globe enjoying sell out arena and stadium concerts across the UK, US, Japan and Australia. Their new album "Astronaut" which rocketed into the UK charts at #3 also achieved critical acclaim along with the singles "Sunrise" and What Happens Tomorrow".

Commenting on the forthcoming Rolex Fastnet Race and being reunited with the yacht, Simon Le Bon said; "I am thrilled that we are able to race Drum again and for Sir Arnold Clark's generosity in loaning the yacht for the race.

It will be a very special moment being back on board with the original crew members, we went through a great deal together in 1985 let's hope that this time we finish the race. Something else that motivates us to do this, is to raise awareness of the valuable work of the RNLI and the search & rescue teams who we all owe a great debt of gratitude to. We felt it was very important to highlight the tireless work of the RNLI and its dedicated team of volunteers."

THE ROLEX FASTNET RACE
Sunday 7th August - Friday 12th August 2005

Further Information

The Rolex Fastnet Race 2005
The biennial Rolex Fastnet Race is considered one of the world's classic ocean races, the 608-mile course a test for skippers and crews with its tricky tidal currents and changeable weather conditions. The race, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, with the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Royal Western Yacht Club, Plymouth will start on Sunday 7th August, off Cowes, Isle of Wight. The Royal Ocean Racing Club's classic event will attract in the region of 275 yachts in 2005. The course will take the large fleet South West down the Solent, past the Needles and out into the English Channel. The headlands along the South Coast of England - Anvil Point, Portland Bill, Start Point, The Lizard, Lands End - must each be weathered on the way to open ocean and the leg North West to the Fastnet Rock with its mythical lighthouse. The return leg to Plymouth, via Bishop Rock Lighthouse on the South side of the Scilly Isles, is just as demanding, as fatigue and competition take their toll. Like no other race the Rolex Fastnet Race attracts every type of sailor and boat from just about every sailing country in the world. Sailing schools, corporate institutions, family owned and crewed cruiser-racers, dedicated amateurs, club sailors along with the hardened champions from the Grand Prix circuits, are all attracted to compete in the best known offshore race in the world. All come to enjoy the challenge of one of the trickiest and most demanding sporting events that an individual or a team can aspire to today.

Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd
The company was founded by Sir Arnold Clark over 50 years ago when he opened his first showroom in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland in 1954. As Chairman & Chief Executive of the group, Sir Arnold has guided the company to it current status as the largest independent Motoring Group in the UK and one of the largest automotive companies in Europe. Sir Arnold Clark was awarded his knighthood in the 2004 New Year Honours List for ‘Services To The Motor Industry & The Scottish Community'. The knighthood was received from Her Majesty The Queen in June of last year. Arnold Clark Automobiles currently has in excess of 130 motor car dealerships in the UK and its core business is in vehicle sales, both new and used, vehicle repairs and servicing, automotive parts, rental and contract hire. The company also has its own car, travel and home insurance division. ACA currently employs over 7,000 staff and in 2004 had a turnover of £1.6 Billion. The company remains a private limited company and its head office is located in Glasgow, Scotland.

MeesPierson
Founded in 1720, MeesPierson is an international provider of Wealth Management, Trust & Corporate Services. The group offers worldwide integrated services and solutions for asset & liability management to private clients and their businesses as well as to corporate clients and their advisors. Committed to serving clients with the highest level of professional expertise, MeesPierson has built its business on excellence in a wide range of competencies: investments, structuring & trusts, international corporate management, financial engineering, real estate, financing, insurance as well as a number of specialized services ranging from intellectual property, philanthropy or yacht and aircraft structuring and management to corporate governance and redomiciliation services.

Today, MeesPierson is part of the Commercial & Private Banking division of Fortis. Private Banking & Trust activities exist in 24 countries: Belgium, British West Indies, China, Denmark, France, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Indonesia, the Isle of Man, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. At December 2004, MeesPierson had EUR 52.4 billion of assets under management. A team of 2,500 professionals offers customised advice in all major financial centres

Jacaranda Films
Jacaranda Films was set up in 2000 as a Production and Post-Production facilities house in Spain by Colin Gittins who has worked in television for more than 30 years. Jacaranda produces TV documentaries, corporate films, advertising spots and training films. Last year it produced the "The Super Yacht Cup 2004" which was broadcasted last October on SKY Sports. Later this year, the TRAVEL CHANNEL will broadcast its latest production "The Soller Railway", directed by David Hare.

Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI)
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a registered charity that saves lives at sea. It provides, on call, the 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service to 50 miles out from the coast of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, and a beach lifeguard service on 57 beaches in the south west of England. The RNLI continues to rely on voluntary contributions and legacies for its income. There are 232 lifeboat stations strategically placed around the UK and Republic of Ireland with 331 lifeboats in active service. In 2003 the RNLI made 8.109 launches, saved 344 lives and bought 6.077 people ashore with its rescue service. Since its inception in 1824, the RNLI has saved over 136,000 lives. The RNLI has 4,600 volunteer crew members and 300 of those are women.

SIMON LE BON & DURAN DURAN
Duran Duran's career has spanned 26 years and achieved 70 million record sales and countless hit records. In the last four years Duran Duran have been honoured with no less than five major Lifetime Achievement awards: from Q Magazine, The Brits, MTV, the Ivor Novello's, and the Spanish Onda's. Their album "Astronaut" entered the album charts at #3 in the UK and has received critical acclaim across the globe. Their 2004 UK tour saw them performing to 240,000 people. On July 2nd, the original line up of Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor proudly performed at Live 8 in Rome in front of an audience of one million people and a global TV audience of more than one billion. Their two year "Astronaut" World Tour will come to an end in December 2005 when the band will perform their final dates in the UK at Glasgow's SECC on the 16th December, Birmingham's NEC on the 17th December, Manchester MEN on the 18th December and London's Earls Court on the 21st December. They will have performed to 3.5 million fans around the globe in 22 different countries. www.duranduran.com

EAST COWES MARINA- Dean & Reddyhoff Limited
Dean & Reddyhoff Marinas are one of the leading marina operators in the UK, with locations at Haslar in Portsmouth Harbour, Weymouth and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The company offers high quality, fully serviced berths for approaching 1,300 vessels of up to 55 metres in length. All Dean & Reddyhoff Marinas are accessible at all states of tide 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and the company prides itself on the very high levels of personal service it offers its berth holders; and also the quality of its shoreside facilities. East Cowes Marina has just undergone a major multi-million pound refurbishment with new pontoons giving extra capacity, new shoreside buildings and new luxurious reception, washroom & laundry facilities. The marina was officially re-opened in June this year by Dame Ellen MacArthur, who also berths her world-beating catamaran "B&Q" at East Cowes Marina.