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Barcelona, Monday May 17th 2010 �C Lionel Messi joins the world of Audemars Piguet and its 135 years of history. Understandably proud to be welcoming him, Audemars Piguet CEO Philippe Merk salutes the arrival of this exceptional personality who has successively overcome life’s various trials to reach the peak of his art.The man is simply fascinating �C precisely because he has managed to develop the skills that have made him the accomplished sportsman we now know. These skills clearly extend beyond the technical sphere. He has had to find the necessary inner resources to turn adversity into an ally, since his early life was not exactly rosy. Difficulties have clearly forged his character and his intelligence. He has learned to transform his weaknesses into strengths, as confirmed by his multiple successes.From his earliest childhood in Argentina, Lionel Messi enjoyed kicking a ball through the streets of his hometown of Rosario. His family quickly sensed “Leo’s” potential, but when he was just 10 years old, a doctor diagnosed a hormonal disease that affected the growth of this budding player. After researching which Argentinean club could help him to develop his football career, Leo’s family enrolled him for recruitment testing at FC Barcelona in Spain. He was admitted to the Masia, the Bar?a training centre, which agreed to cover his training as well as his medical care expenses. In 2001, the entire family therefore left Argentina to settle in Catalonia in order to follow Messi’s first steps on the Camp Nou football pitch. Lionel Messi is currently a striker for the legendary FC Barcelona and for his national team, where he wears the legendary N�� 10 shirt �C the emblematic number of the world’s greatest footballers…He is undeniably gifted with an amazing set of qualities. He handles the ball with incredible skill and dribbles his opponents with disconcerting ease. Messi is a complete, fast and creative player with a smart sense of the game that is universally recognised by his peers. In 2009, this determined and passionate young man was rewarded by a string of titles and distinctions: FIFA 2009 World Player of the Year, the 2009 Golden Ball award and Player of the Spanish League (along with team successes with FC Barcelona, such as the 2006 and 2009 UEFA Champions League, as well as the FIFA Club World Cup and Spanish League).“Lionel Messi is an exceptional man, the greatest player of his generation. This young and talented athlete not only embodies pure sporting genius, but also the courage and the determination of a man who fights against all odds to pursue his dreams. Above and beyond his intrinsic value, we are welcoming a big-hearted man with valuable human qualities into the Audemars Piguet family”, said Philippe Merk.Such a life journey was bound to be meaningful to Audemars Piguet. The 135-year history of the Manufacture has also been punctuated by many obstacles. Audemars Piguet has overcome them and in doing so as acquired the kind of competence it now sees in Lionel Messi. Keenly aware of what such knowledge entails and of the power to effect change that it encompasses, both Lionel Messi and Audemars Piguet are concerned with passing it on to younger generations in preparing for the future. Lionel Messi does so through his new “Fundac��on Leo Messi” created in 2009, and Audemars Piguet through its own foundation. This shared vision will be the driving force behind several social projects that the two partners will be jointly developing over the coming years.As Messi explains, “I am trying to use my fame to raise public awareness of the distress of women and children around the world! You have to believe in yourself and never lose sight of your dreams… but sometimes our dreams need a little helping hand.”Discreet, humble and committed, as of 2010 he is serving as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.In its undisputed leadership role within the field of Haute Horlogerie, Audemars Piguet naturally surrounds itself with strong and powerful personalities embodying excellence and daring in their own field �C be it sport, art, or technology. These partnerships owe nothing to chance; they serve to reaffirm the authentic values conveyed by the Manufacture and centred on the passion for exceptional watches and the expertise they enshrine.Such is definitely the case for Lionel Messi, who has found a prime partner in Audemars Piguet: “It’s a real joy and a great honour for me to join a prestigious family such as that of Audemars Piguet, which I have long admired. This is the start of a beautiful human adventure based on strong shared values and visions”. Friends of the brands will thus enjoy the tremendous privilege of rubbing shoulders with him at various exclusive events. In joining the Audemars Piguet “family”, Leo Messi thus becomes the first footballer to associate his name with that of a prestigious Swiss watch brand.So hats off to Mr. Messi, who at the tender age of 22 has managed to achieve a subtle balance between daring and wisdom. We can safely bet that the up and coming generations will acknowledge him as a valuable role model!ProfileName: Lionel Andr��s MESSICountry: ArgentinaPlace of birth: RosarioDate of birth: 24-06-1987Height: 169 cmWeight: 67 kg Current club: FC BarcelonaPosition: Attacker (winger/second-striker) Achievements to date Titles with FC Barcelona: 2009-10 Spanish League (Liga)2008-09 UEFA Champions League FIFA Club World CupSpanish League (Liga) Kings Cup European Supercup Spanish Supercup2006-07 Spanish Supercup2005-06 UEFA Champions League2005-06 Spanish League (Liga)2005-06 Spanish Supercup2004-05 Spanish League (Liga)2004-2005 Under-20 World Champion2008 Gold medallist at the Beijing Olympic Games Individual honours: 2009/2010 European Golden Shoe2009 named FIFA World Player of the Yea2009 winner of the Golden Ball award2006-07-08-09 named Player of the Year by World Soccer2009 named in the “World XI of the decade” line-up published by The Sun2009 best-ranked footballer on the list of sports champions of the decade published by L’��quipe2009 named Best European Player by El Pa��s

L'Hydropt��re Fastest Boat on the Planet Over 1 Nautical Mile The hydrofoil trimaran sets a new world speed record of 50.17 knots (92.91 km/h), a wonderful gift from Alain Th��bault, Thierry Lombard and their team to their new sponsor, Audemars Piguet. Barely two months after crossing the magical 50-knot threshold, the equivalent of breaking the sound barrier in aviation, l'Hydropt��re confirmed its status as the planet's fastest flying trimaran, beating the world record at an average speed of 50.17 knots* over one nautical mile (92.91 km/h). Alain Th��bault and his ten-man crew achieved this exceptional feat at their speed base in Hy��res on Sunday, November 8, in a 28-knot northwesterly wind. L'Hydropt��re capped off a fantastic series of records posted in the Mediterranean and set a new benchmark in the world of sailing. "For 30 years, passion and daring have carried me forward, but this victory really belongs to our indomitable, tight-knit team. The historic record of more than 50 knots over one nautical mile is powerful because it lies at the frontier between the twin capacities of this extraordinary flying trimaran that is both a high-speed craft and an ocean-going sailboat. Our team now holds the top two speed records in the world, 51.36 knots over 500 metres and 50.17 knots over one nautical mile, and we can now concentrate on ocean sailing in 2010", commented Alain Th��bault. This performance is a wonderful welcome gift for watchmaker Audemars Piguet, which had decided to associate itself with this incredible adventure a few weeks ago, along with private bankers Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch & Cie. The union of Audemars Piguet and Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch & Cie around this project is almost natural: as age-old family businesses, they share many values, such as tradition, excellence and expertise. As entrepreneurs, they have a history marked by a commitment to innovation, discovery and inspiring challenges. "Our two firms share the same foundations and the same passions. So it was logical for us to come together on this unique, unconventional and avant-garde project that embodies incredibly powerful human and technological values", said Thierry Lombard, an avid sailor who is keen on challenges, sailing and technology. Before it became a project of the private bankers, whose founding year - 1796 - is written on the mainsail, l'Hydropt��re was originally a personal project. The 60-ft Hydropt��re (from the Greek hydros, water, and ptera, wing), is a hydrofoil trimaran (the foils are actually underwater wings). It is a sleek and elegant craft with a central hull and a mast 28 metres high, stabilised by two side floats separated from the hull by huge 24-metre carbon crossbeams built at the Airbus plant in Nantes. The innovative design of the boat, which flies on submerged wings, cleverly constructed out of carbon and titanium, make it much faster, more durable and lightweight (only 6.5 tonnes). The flight envelope of the prototype is continuously defined and validated on a 3D flight simulator developed specifically for this carbon bird, which represents the new generation of extreme sailing. Alain Th��bault, designer and skipper of this Formula 1 of the seas, had always dreamt of making a boat fly. After 20 years of research and development, the flying boat is now a robust, powerful craft thanks to the help of eight retired engineers from Dassault Aviation and EADS-Airbus who volunteered their time. l'Hydropt��re is the perfect combination of cutting edge technology, performance and human adventure. This unique project was created by a team of sailing buffs, engineers, technicians and aircraft manufacturers. In 2006, the Ecole Polytechnique F��d��rale de Lausanne (EPFL) joined the team and became "Official Scientific Adviser" to assist in advanced fields such as aero-hydrodynamics, composite materials, structural behaviour and video imaging. The world of sailing is a field that Audemars Piguet knows well. As early as 1985, the watchmaking firm accompanied Peter Fehlmann, winner of the Whitbread. In 2000, it participated in its first America's Cup, with "Be hAPpy", and then went on to take part in the fantastic Swiss victories in the 31 and 32 America's Cup. In 2008 and 2009, the watchmaker was alongside Ladycat on the Decision 35 circuit on Lake Geneva. Today, it has become one of two main sponsors in the wonderful world of l'Hydropt��re. Audemars Piguet has authored the most beautiful pages in the history of watchmaking in its quest for technological innovation, daring and excellence, ceaselessly pushing back the limits of the possible, a philosophy shared by l'Hydropt��re. Like Audemars Piguet, which can boast a number of horological performances including a many world firsts such as the creation in 1972 of the legendary Royal Oak, the first luxury steel watch; or the 2006 launch of the new high-performance, lubricant-free Audemars Piguet escapement, l'Hydropt��re also has a long list of achievements to its credit. On Friday September 4 2009, in Hy��res, France, Alain Th��bault and his outstanding ten-man crew set two outright sailing speed world records: over 500 metres, at an average speed of 51.36 knots (95.118 km/h) and over one nautical mile (1,852 m) at an average of 48.74 knots (90.266 km/h). These records were ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council, the official keeper of all records pertaining to sailing. On November 8, 2009, l'Hydropt��re once again made history by setting a new record: an average speed of 50.17 knots, equivalent to 92.91 km/h, over one nautical mile* with a peak at 55.5 knots (102.78 km/h). Even if all records are made to be broken, this one will be very hard to match over that distance. "Thanks to this historic double record, l'Hydropt��re is confirmed as the fastest sailcraft on the planet. This exceptional performance is a tribute to the work of a determined and experienced team, which developed and implemented revolutionary and innovative solutions. We can fully relate to this extraordinary challenge, which is perfectly consistent with the pioneering and adventurous spirit of our brand," said Philippe Merk, CEO of Audemars Piguet. But the human and sporting adventure does not stop there. Audemars Piguet and Lombard Odier are also sponsoring l'Hydropt��re.ch, which will take to the waters of Lake Geneva, Switzerland, in summer 2010. It will serve as a laboratory and a think tank for the ambitious Hydropt��re Maxi project, the ultimate goal of which is to sail round the world in 40 days, thus pursuing the dream of Jules Verne. "This great human and technological adventure is backed today by two prestigious firms that solidify our roots. The arrival of Audemars Piguet alongside private bankers Lombard Odier moves me deeply. This strong support is a great motivational force for me and the team. In an ongoing humble family spirit, our ambition is now to unfurl our wings on the open seas, collectively and around the world," concludes Alain Th��bault.