Mercedes-Benz and Mike Horn launch the unique PANGAEA Environmental project

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

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Mercedes-Benz is partner and main sponsor of Mike Horn's four-year PANGAEA Expedition
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The objective of the expedition is to enhance a respect of the environment and to initiate environmental projects together with young people
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Boat baptism in Monaco attended by H.S.H. Prince Albert II

Stuttgart/Monaco, May 19, 2008 � A globally unique environmental project was launched today at the Monaco Yacht Club when the biggest polar exploration sail boat ever built, the PANGAEA (Greek for "all earth"), was baptized by Mrs. Gaynor Rupert at a ceremony attended by H.S.H. Prince Albert II. This marks the start of a four-year expedition around the world headed by adventurer Mike Horn and that is sponsored by exclusive partner and main sponsor, Mercedes-Benz. The motto of the expedition is "explore � learn � act". Mike Horn and Mercedes-Benz hope that it will encourage young people to make an active contribution to protecting the environment and conserving natural resources.

"Mike Horn and Mercedes-Benz are both pioneers in their fields and they both use their expertise and resources to protect our natural environment and our climate," explained Dr. Olaf G�ttgens, Vice President Brand Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars. Mercedes-Benz's "TrueBlueSolutions" is an ambitious sustainability strategy which has led to the development of pioneering technologies that will contribute to the achievement of emission-free mobility.

By supporting the PANGAEA Expedition, Mercedes-Benz is demonstrating its commitment to sustainability in a very special way. The Greek word PANGAEA means "all Earth" and is also the name of the last supercontinent that existed on earth over 250 million years ago. The PANGAEA sailing boat will also be travelling to all five continents, including the North and South Pole. A total of 144 young people in diverse international teams will be accompanying Mike Horn and working on environmental projects and projects to improve the living environments of the people who live at the various expedition destinations. "We want to help these young people to find out about and learn to appreciate the world's natural resources through project work. We want them to understand the impact of human actions on the environment and nature, and to make an active contribution to protecting our planet for future generations. Mercedes-Benz is a competent partner which enables us to implement environmental and social projects around the world with state-of-the-art technology," said Mike Horn. The projects will be selected and supported by various different educational and environmental organisations. Mercedes-Benz will be providing environmentally-friendly BlueTEC vehicles for the project teams to use at the various stations and information about sustainable automotive technologies.

About Mike Horn

South African-born adventurer Mike Horn, has undertaken exceptional feats of endurance, determination and courage, which have extended the boundaries of human achievement in past expeditions. From 1997 to 1998, he followed the entire 7,000 kilometres of the Amazon river from its source to its estuary, where it runs into the Atlantic Ocean. From 1999 to 2000 he completed an 18-month solo journey around the equator without any motor transport. In 2004, he completed a solo circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle. Equipped with a kayak, a bicycle and a ski kite, he travelled 20,000 kilometres through Greenland, Canada, Alaska, Siberia, Russia, Norway and sailed across the Davis Strait, the Bering Strait and the Barents Sea. From January till March 2006, Mike Horn and Norwegian Arctic explorer Borge Ousland became the first men to ski to the North Pole during the permanent darkness of the Arctic months.



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