Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert is finally being put out to sea. The comedian, actor, and co-planner of 2010's Rally to Restore Sanity will sail toward the northernmost tip of the mysterious Bermuda Triangle in next month's Charleston Bermuda Race.
For several weeks, we'd heard that Colbert would serve as Honorary Captain of the Fleet, but at the 2011 New York Auto Show, we learned that he'll also serve as "Morale Officer" aboard "The Audi", a 65-foot yacht sponsored by -- yes -- Audi. Said Colbert: "Audi's support in this race is the next best thing to putting a sail on my own Audi and sailing to victory....'The Audi' is a shoe-in [sic] to win!" Spoken like a true shill.
The Charleston Bermuda Race is a bi-annual yachting event that runs from Charleston Harbor, South Carolina to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in Bermuda. Spanning a length of 777 miles, the race is notable for being open to anyone -- professional or amateur -- with a vessel over 30 feet in length. The 2011 event begins on May 21.
Win or lose, Audi will come out ahead in this race. On the one hand, Colbert will bring a good bit of attention to the Audi brand. On the other, the race itself could spur ideas for future Audi models: if the e-tron fails and de Nysschen is right about the folly of EVs, the company can always look into wind-powered rides.
[Audi]
