Langley Holdings
Gladiator, the Langley Holdings sponsored TP 52 yacht racing programme, has won Class 1 in the IRC National Championships, held on the Solent waters off of Cowes, England, this weekend.
Three days of racing – Friday through Sunday – saw the cream of the IRC fleets converge in Cowes for the IRC National Championships with over 50 boats competing in four different classes.
In the elite IRC 1, all four boats won races in the eight race programme, but ultimately it was Tony Langley’s highly polished Gladiator crew that prevailed.
Racing in the Solent is notoriously tricky with ripping tides, back eddies and shallows, not to mention one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, to contend with and for this event, Solent expert and Volvo Ocean Race navigator Jules Salter – no stranger to the Gladiator programme – was brought in, together with Olympic Gold and Silver medalist, Iain Percy, calling tactics.
This was Langley’s first IRC Nationals. “It’s always nice to race on home waters and a win here is a nice bonus,” he said. “It was good to have some boat-on-boat action with Tala [2nd in the event] this weekend. We knew we had a bit on because she is quite a bit faster and they sailed it well.” The UK based Gladiator was also Langley’s first. “I have quite a soft spot for this boat. We have won the Round the Island Race and Cowes Week with her twice now, the Voille de St Tropez last year and now this.”
Watch the video Gladiator and Tala going head-to-head here
Next up Langley’s Gladiator team will be flying the colours of the Yacht Club Costa Smerelda with an Anglo-Italian challenge at the New York Yacht Club 175th Anniversary Regatta, to be held off Newport RI, 15-20 July.
About Gladiator Sailing Team
In common with all Langley businesses, the group sponsored Gladiator Sailing Team represents the very best technology in its field, attracts highly talented can-do people and conducts itself with the highest standards of integrity.
About Langley Holdings
Langley Holdings plc is a globally operating, multi-disciplined engineering and industrial manufacturing concern, principally providing capital equipment technologies to diverse markets around the world. Langley businesses are either outright market leaders or occupy strong niche positions in their respective fields, providing advanced technologies in a solutions based approach.
The group was established in 1975 by the current Chairman, Mr Tony Langley, and remains in family ownership. Following the acquisition of Marelli Motori in May 2019, the group comprises 6 divisions based in Germany, France, Italy and the UK, with a substantial presence in the United States and more than 80 subsidiaries in the Americas, Europe, the Far East and Australasia, employing around 5,000 people worldwide.
