Top and side views of the King of Shaves Class 1 Offshore Powerboat design.

King of Shaves has signed a major contract to sponsor a Class 1 Powerboat in the World Series. Team owner Chris Parsonage and driver, James Sheppard have a multi-year commitment to 'dominate' Class 1 Offshore Powerboat Racing. James 'Jose' Sheppard leaves nothing to chance, already having won four World Offshore Titles. Chris Parsonage, team owner and organiser of the UK leg is "hugely excited".

After months of negotiations, the leading shaving and skincare brand King of Shaves, has agreed title sponsorship rights for a race team in the 2006/7 Class 1 Powerboat World Offshore Championships.

The King of Shaves Team, is to be run and throttled by hugely successful property developer and team owner, Chris Parsonage and driven by James Sheppard, four times Honda F4 World Champion.

This is King of Shaves first global sports sponsorship deal - the brand first entered powerboat sponsorship in the UK based Honda Formula 4 class in 2001, with James Sheppard subsequently winning four championships.

Chris Parsonage, team owner and proprietor of the UK's only Class 1 Powerboat team, saw the 'win' potential in James, and decided to partner him in a joint aim to become World Champions.

The Class 1 Offshore Championships start in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) in April 2006, with legs in Russia, USA and the UK.

Parsonage and Sheppard intend to bring an Abramovich/Chelsea 'The Best of Everything' approach to winning the Class 1 championships... and a number of other undisclosed 'Win Targets'.

Comments Parsonage: "James is an out and out winner. I watched him race and comprehensively win Honda F4 - he impressed the hell out of me. I'm delighted he is to be driver, and equally as pleased British brand, King of Shaves, is backing us. We're out to win, and we don't intend to disappoint".

Adds Sheppard: "To say it's a dream come true is the understatement of the year. I raced powerboats when young, then got back into them when I drove King of Shaves with Neil Sinclair in the Honda F4 Championships. I'm fanatical about detail and preparation - that's why I'm referred to as 'Jose' (Mourinho!) - but my aim is simple: to win. Will, and the King of Shaves team backed me as an unknown quantity back in 2000, and I'm delighted we're racing in King of Shaves livery again."

Enthuses King: "The original deal to sponsor James was written over five years ago on the back of a napkin in the Hilton Hotel, Heathrow! Over the years I said if he got the chance to compete in and win the Class 1 Offshore Powerboat Series, we'd be interested in backing him - King of Shaves is in the business of backing winners, and the combination of Chris and James is exactly that, so we did a deal."

James Sheppard and Chris Parsonage hold the World Speed record for circumnavigating the Isle of Wight (September 2005, 32 minutes, 22 seconds), James also holds two Class speed records in the Honda F4 boat 'King of Shaves' on Lake Windermere (before it was closed to powerboat users).
        
King of Shaves:
Press enquiries regarding King of Shaves and this sponsorship announcement should be directed to Anna Hooper or Jo Scotchmer at The Communications Store on +44 207 584 4344 / www.tcs-uk.net.

Chris Parsonage:
Press enquiries regarding Chris Parsonage should be directed to Nichola Sanders at Chris Parsonage Racing on +44 1752 674222 / www.chrisparsonageracing.com.

Class 1 Powerboat Racing:
Full information on Class 1 Powerboat Racing and results may be found at the offical Class 1 websites at www.class-1.com and www.class1uk.co.uk.

Sports Sponsorship:
King of Shaves are primary sponsor of Kristan Bromley in the upcoming 2006 Winter Olympics, Torino (Bob Skeleton). The brand also sponsors the 'Young Blades', 12 young British athletes aiming to compete in the 2012 London Olympics, is a Platinum sponsor of the Gipsy Moth IV sail challenge initiative (www.gipsymoth.org) and backed Team Bulkeley / McMillan in the 2004 Athens Olympics in the Tornado dinghy sailing class.

Corporate:
KMI, the privately owned UK company behind King of Shaves was founded in 1993 by Will King and is the number two men's shaving and skincare brand in the UK. The company also manufactures and / or markets Ted Baker fine fragrance and toiletries products and Fish 'Born in Soho' hair styling products in the UK and USA.

The company and its brands are regarded as uniquely successful in their sector, with over 12 years sustained sales growth.

Retail:
King of Shaves products are found in most major UK and US retailers, including Boots, Tesco, CVS/pharmacy and Wal-Mart.