13^th June 2012 

Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week Junior Art Competition launched

Aberdeen Asset Management is delighted to announce the launch of the 2012 Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week junior art competition.

Continuing this year’s ‘Best of British’ theme, Under 16 sailing enthusiasts from sailing clubs across the UK are invited to submit a piece of artwork depicting Cowes Week, and including a Union Flag.

Creativity is encouraged and entrants are welcome to use the medium and materials of their choosing. The only restriction is keeping the artwork to an A3 size, and submitting it by the deadline of Wednesday 25^th July 2012.

Entries will be judged by a panel which includes Aberdeen Asset Management sailing ambassador and double Olympic Gold Medallist, Shirley Robertson.

The winning artwork will be showcased in the Aberdeen Asset Management marquee at Cowes Week and the winning artist will receive a VIP hospitality day for them and two guests at the regatta, including a boat trip on the Solent to watch the racing, an Aberdeen sailing pack and Gill sailing kit. Aberdeen will also donate £1,000 to the sailing club affiliated with the winning artist.

The runner-up will receive an Aberdeen sailing pack and Gill sailing kit, and Aberdeen will donate £500 to their sailing club.

There will also be an additional prize for the best artwork by a child aged 10 years or under, who will win an Aberdeen sailing pack and Gill sailing kit.

Commenting on the announcement, James Thorneley, Group Communications Manager of Aberdeen Asset Management said: “We are now in the second year of our five year sponsorship of Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week and we wanted to run this Junior Art Competition to further engage young sailing enthusiasts with the regatta and raise awareness of the event. These young sailors are our sailors of the future and in this celebratory year for Britain we want to encourage creativity off the water as well as on it.”

All entries must include the artist’s name, age, home address, telephone number, email address and sailing club name. Artwork should be submitted to Cowes Week Limited, 18 Bath Road, Cowes, PO31 7QN (entries can be sent or dropped off in person). For more information on the competition and for full terms and conditions, please visit www.aamcowesweek.co.uk.

ENDS

Media Queries
For more information on Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, please contact:
Ben Cummings at WSM Communication on 020 7183 4610 or aamcowesweekpr@wsmcommunications.com.
For more information on Aberdeen Asset Management and the Junior Art Competition please contact: Louise Nash at louise.nash@wsmcommunications.com.

Notes to Editors
About the Junior Art Competition:
Size: Maximum presentation size is A3
Deadline for entry: Wednesday 25^th July 2012
Eligibility: Sailing club members aged 16 and under
Materials: There is no restriction on materials used – it could be a painting, drawing, pastel, collage etc.
Entries: Must include artist’s name, age, home address, telephone number, email address and sailing club name
Judging: Panel to be made up of a representative from Aberdeen Asset Management, a representative from Cowes Week Limited and double Olympic Gold Medallist, Shirley Robertson
Submission: Entries should be submitted to Cowes Week Limited, 18 Bath Road, Cowes, PO31 7QN

About Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week:

• Cowes Week is one of the longest running events in UK sporting history having first taken place in 1826.
• Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week is an inclusive, aspirational sailing regatta; the largest of its kind in the world.
• Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week attracts around 1,000 yachts in up to 40 classes, and 8,500 competitors ranging from weekend sailors through to Olympic medallists and World Champions.
• Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week has a lively festival atmosphere ashore with a broad range of social activities that provide an exciting and varied “après-sail” programme.
• The official event website for all the latest news and information is: www.aamcowesweek.co.uk.
• Follow the event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cowesweek.
• The 2012 event dates have been changed to avoid a clash with the Olympic Games and therefore Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week in 2012 will be held 11 – 18 August.

About Aberdeen Asset Management:  Aberdeen Asset Management is a pure asset management group and is one of the largest publicly-quoted investment managers listed in the UK. It invests worldwide as a traditional, fundamental investor on behalf of institutional clients, advisers and individuals globally across major asset classes. The group has assets under management of £184.7 billion (as at end of March 2012). Aberdeen was founded in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1983 and today operates in 23 countries around the world, employing 1,800 staff. Aberdeen champions first-hand research and believes close teamwork is the best means to discover the best investments for clients’ portfolios.

Aberdeen participates in sponsorships where it may get actively involved and make a difference to an event, individual or team. Aberdeen’s current sport sponsorship portfolio includes properties across golf, sailing, rugby and rowing. The group is also involved with a number of cultural and arts sponsorships.

For more information visit http://www.aberdeen-asset.com/aam.nsf/aboutus/sponsorship.