Background "I got so annoyed in the mid-'80s when I saw how the tobacco companies put forward their messages in a sport which is associated with good health,” says Ludde Ingvall, skipper of the Nicorette Big Boat Racing Team. “The open water and the fresh breeze create a feeling of freedom about ocean sailing. "That's why I wanted to challenge the tobacco companies and started sailing to promote a smoke-free world. Having Pharmacia in our team has been really important, and they have helped us achieve success.” Today, the Nicorette Big Boat Racing Team continues to challenge the presence of tobacco companies in sport and promote the message of a smoke-free world. The success of the team as a world-class racing outfit has been very important in keeping that message in the public eye. But there are a number of aspects of the team and in particular, the philosophy of the skipper Ludde Ingvall, that make the Nicorette Big Boat Racing Team what it is today. An enduring commercial relationship:   The team, and its message of competing for a smoke-free world, was conceived in 1991 by Ludde Ingvall. In 1993, Nicorette was convinced of the opportunity of supporting a high-profile ocean racing team. Thus began one of the most enduring commercial relationships in yachting. Over the years, three yachts have raced under the Nicorette banner. The most recent, a 79 foot IRC Maxi, launched in December 1999, can claim to be one of the world’s most advanced ocean racing yachts. Ludde’s talent as a skipper has resulted in an enviable tally of wins and landmarks for the team, including winning the Fastnet race in 1995, the Sydney to Hobart in 2000 and breaking the record for a transatlantic crossing by a mono-hull yacht in 1997. The team also won the Gotland Runt outright in 1994 and has taken line honours in the same race four times and is a two-time Maxi One Design World Champion. Throughout it, Pharmacia, who own and market the Nicorette brand around the world, has funded the project and actively employed the team in year-round, global marketing campaigns. Wherever the team goes, they make headlines. International co-operation and youth development: Besides winning and promoting a smoke-free world, there are two other important themes that make up the Nicorette Big Boat Racing Team philosophy. Firstly, the team is committed to developing the talents of young sailors, regardless of their background or financial resources, and secondly it emphasises the international make-up of the team. "We wanted to provide kids with a good role model,” explains Ludde, “and the concept included being able to offer as many young people as possible the chance to sail with Nicorette. This would make it possible to give our kids good values for life and act as a stepping stone to new challenges.” To date, 800 young people have sailed with the Nicorette Big Boat Racing Team. At least 80 of these have continued their careers in sailing and many are now professional. Indeed, many of the teams in the Volvo Ocean Race 2001 have a former Nicorette Big Boat Team member as part of its crew. “Something else we enjoy is our ability to bring individuals from around the world together as one international team,” says Ludde. “Although the team is generally regarded as being Swedish based, it is rare that we would enter a race with less than five nationalities on board, and it’s been as high as eight. Once you have a common purpose, it is possible for people of a great diversity of backgrounds to pull together and achieve remarkable results.” Sydney to Hobart Crew