OC Group Merges With ThirdPole to Create Outdoor Sports Force.

OC Group, the company behind the Extreme Sailing Series, has announced today that it will merge with European based ThirdPole. The non-cash deal will bring together the two companies’ competences to form a broad based outdoor sports and events company. The two brands will remain, OC continuing to specialise in professional sailing teams and events, and ThirdPole in outdoor events ranging from running, cycling and biathlon, to more extreme sports including adventure and trail running races.

OC and ThirdPole combined aspire to become a world leader of outdoor events on all playing fields: oceans, lakes, mountains, forests and deserts and city centres.

The new business will fully own the existing operating companies in France, Switzerland and the UK, and will continue their work with global brands, host cities and regions, sporting federations and other promoters all over the world. The combined business already has events in place for 2011 in more than a dozen countries in Europe, USA and Asia.

Mark Turner, who has been rumoured to head up the next America’s Cup organisation, will remain fully engaged in the overall business as Executive Chairman. He said:

“The merger with ThirdPole is a really exciting new venture for us. OC Group has a great team of people who have delivered first-class events and sailing programmes worldwide over the past decade and our clients can rest assured that we will continue to do so in the future. ThirdPole already manages some outstanding outdoor event properties and we can combine our skills and experience to enhance what we do already in sailing, and help build some great new events together as well.

Those who know me well know I have a passion for a number of outdoor sports beyond sailing – that’s certainly been a key factor for me in this new development. The Outdoor Events sector has been developing fast, particularly in France, where I’ve spent most of my time these past years and it’s an exciting diversification for our company. This will not affect our determination for OC to remain as a leading player in professional sailing. Both sectors are well positioned at a time when strong sporting values, accessibility for the fans, and the importance of our natural environment are valued more than ever by brands and venues in the sports sponsorship world. We’ve never been afraid to push the boundaries in sport or to challenge tradition and these values, along with a very strong work ethic, will remain core to our strategy.

There have been a number of new and interesting opportunities recently on a personal and business level, but this one will allow me to get closer again to the incredible sportsmen and women that take on amazing challenges. Motivating people to push beyond their limits has always been the most rewarding aspect of sport business for me.

ThirdPole was created by Rémi Duchemin and Benjamin Chandelier, both former employees at Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the organiser of the Tour de France, the Paris International Marathon, the Alstom French Golf Open and other major events. As Head of Business Development, Rémi was responsible for the creation and management of the Merrell Oxygen Challenge and worked across all the sports that ASO are renowned for.

Although a young company, ThirdPole has already organised its own mass participation events in the endurance sports arena, such as the Geneva Marathon for Unicef, and has delivered consulting services to other events like the Merrell Oxygen Challenge (unique outdoor festival with mountain-biking, trail running and orienteering in the Cantal, France), the Biathlon World Cup 2011 in Annecy-Le Grand Bornand, and also for brands attracted by the strong values and potential of these disciplines. ThirdPole is developing several new projects and events in Western Europe and beyond, especially in the fast-growing market of running and cycling.

Rémi Duchemin said:

“We are very proud of the marriage of sailing and endurance sports, two worlds which maintain very close relations and common values, such as, nature, humility, facing adversity and conviviality. The new business born from the merger of OC and ThirdPole aspires to become a world leader of Outdoor Events on all playing fields: oceans, lakes, mountains, forests and deserts but also city centres. The new group has the privilege to work with a dynamic, international and multicultural team, driving the evolution towards more sustainable business practice. The skills convergence of OC and ThirdPole, in particular event management, logistics, communications, sales and office management, will allow us to set up a strong strategy to reach our ambitious objectives. “

OC Events, which is part of the OC Group is a major player in the sport of sailing. The list of projects and campaigns that it is involved with is extensive. As well as the award-winning and groundbreaking Extreme Sailing Series™, the company is co-creator and consultant to the Barcelona World Race, owner of The Transat™ single-handed transatlantic race, and Organiser, on behalf of Artemis Investment Management, of The Artemis Challenge.

Offshore Challenges, the sailing team division, will continue putting together effective racing campaigns, in the IMOCA circuit (most recently with Artemis Ocean Racing and BT Team Ellen), with Extreme 40s, and with the development of the Artemis Offshore Academy.

OC Group also remains strategic and technical consultant to the Oman Sail project, that uses sailing to contribute to the development of Oman and Omanis, which OC helped create and develop in 2007. OC also continues to advise and work with other brands in sailing, such as, Nespresso with the Nespresso Cup.

Oman Air Sponsorship of Majan Sailing Record Pays Off.

Savvy sailing sponsors know that return on invesment (ROI) for sailing can be increased by using the asset – the boat – for as many days in as many events as possible. Multiple boats, with different capabilities allows you to spread your sponsorship across multiple territories and different audiences.

The concept of the sailing ‘Superteam’ has been emerging for a few years now, partly because of insecurity surrounding the America’s Cup, but also because sports marketing people have recognised the benefits of multiple platforms. Teams like Emirates Team NZ and Groupama compete with multiple boats in multiple competitions and gain huge value as a result.

Over the last couple of years, Oman Sail has been steadily building into a real force in sailing. The most recent example of the team’s success has been a demolition of the Round Britain and Ireland record by Sidney Gavignet (FRA) onboard OMAN AIR MAJAN.  The A100 trimaran broke the existing record held by Thomas Coville by a massive 1 day 15 hours 30 minutes and 44 seconds.

This incredible achievement also means Sidney has beaten the existing fully crewed record time by 1 hour and 7 seconds. This record was set by Steve Fosset onboard Playstation in 2002.

Philippe Georgiou, Chief Officer, Corporate Affairs, Oman Air, the sponsors of the boat said:

“As part of Oman’s Air sponsorship of Oman Sail at the Route du Rhum, the iconic sail regatta which will take place at the end of October, we are excited to be witnessing that all the preparatory stages in the run-up to the race get under way. Following the display of the 100-meter Arabian Trimaran Oman Air during Cowes Week at the Isle of Wight, world famous skipper Sydney Gavignet now readies himself for the single-handed Round Britain and Ireland raid and his attempt to break yet another record. We at Oman Air are both proud and thrilled to be part of the Route du Rhum, this very special event which offers us a great opportunity to promote our airline offering and its unique destination, the Sultanate of Oman.”

Oman Air Majan is built by BoatSpeed.

Image Credit: Lloyd Images/Oman Sail

More Sailing Record News…

Oman Air Describes Cowes Week Activation of Sailing Sponsorhip a Success.

AMEinfo.com reports that Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, is happy with its sponsorship of the Oman Sail project after visiting the Cowes Week. The company has declared the first phase of its sponsorship of the 105-foot racing multihull, Majan, a huge success.

The trimaran had an unmistakable presence at the prestigious yachting event and provided a major talking point as VIP guests and media were shown the boat’s power on the Solent.

Oman Air’s Chief Officer, Corporate Affairs, Philippe Georgiou, who was one of the first to join Sidney on the yacht after she arrived in Cowes, said:

“Majan’s visit to Cowes Week was the first phase of the airline’s sponsorship of this remarkable vessel. She is an imposing yacht and attracted a great deal of attention and admiration as she sailed through the waters off the Isle of Wight. Vitally, the yacht also raised awareness within one of our key markets of Oman Air as an airline that combines tradition with innovation and luxury with value. Majan’s presence at Cowes Week was a powerful one and gave us the opportunity to engage with a large number of opinion-formers and potential visitors to the Sultanate.”

Oman Air’s sponsorship of Majan aims not only to raise awareness of the airline, but also to support Oman Sail in its important work of revitalising Oman’s maritime tradition, celebrating Omani seamanship and increasing participation in sports sailing within the Sultanate. Earlier this year, Oman Air sponsored Jewel of Muscat, a re-creation of a 9th Century Arab Dhow which was hand-built in Oman before being sailed to Singapore and being presented to the country’s President as a gift to the nation.

Majan sailed into Cowes on 31st July with a full – largely Omani – crew and with her three hulls displaying Oman Air’s distinctive branding. During Majan’s stay in Cowes, her skipper, world record holder Sidney Gavignet, welcomed aboard a number of VIPs, including His Highness Sayyid Tariq bin Shabib Al Said and Ahmad Al Harthy, the leading Omani racing driver, who brought his Oman Air-branded Porsche to the quayside.

Philippe Georgiou concluded,

“Following the success of Majan’s visit to Cowes, we are looking forward to the next phase of our sponsorship of Majan. This will see her sail into St Malo, in Northern France, to prepare for one of the greatest challenges any racing yacht can face – La Route Du Rhum. This single-handed transatlantic race will see Majan sail from St Malo to Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, and it will be with a sense of enormous pride that we follow skipper Sidney Gavignet’s progress as he sails under Oman Air’s colours. We look forward to joining Sidney at St Malo in October and we wish him every success in La Route Du Rhum.”

Given the increase in sponsorship of sailing by national tourism offices, it is perhaps surprising that more airlines are not involved in the sport. The most visible airline sponsorship is Emirates backing of Team New Zealand, but other national carriers have not visibly supported nationally backed tourism based event deals.

More Middle East Sailing Business News…

Walker and Boag Announced as Abu Dhabi Volvo Ocean Race Principals.

While we were down in Cowes, there were some big sailing business stories announced. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has announced ‘officially’  that two-time British Olympic medallist and past Volvo Ocean Race skipper, Ian Walker, will take the helm for the emirate’s debut in the next edition of the race. Walker’s business partner Jamie Boag will also be involved in the project which has a reported budget of $25 Million.

The Abu Dhabi project is part of a growing interest in the top level of yacht racing from the region, with Oman, Dubai and Bahrain all investing in the sport.

Walker will also be design consultant on the specially-designed Volvo Open 70 which may be designed by top US-based designer  Bruce Farr. Australian yacht builders McConaghy, who established a facility in China when building Green Dragon would do the same in Abu Dhabi.

ADTA, which was behind the emirate’s successful bid to become a 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race home port, considers Walker’s appointment to be a major coup for Abu Dhabi’s first foray into the race.

Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General, ADTA said

“Ian is the lynchpin in the dream team we are determined to secure. His high profile sends a signal of the seriousness of our ambitions in a sport which will help us build international awareness of our long maritime pedigree and exceptional coastline and surrounding waters.”

Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race is very pleased to have Ian Walker back in the race.

“We believe he will be an excellent skipper and leader for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing,” he said. “The host city is an excellent venue for sailing and hopefully this project will encourage and ignite passion for sailing within the region.”

Walker believes that Abu Dhabi’s participation in the Volvo Ocean Race is a huge step forward for sailing, with the entire emirate eager to embrace the race and support its team.

“This will certainly encourage other sailing events and championships to come to this part of the world,” he said, “and is already inspiring the local population to get fully behind sailing. This is going to be a fantastic journey.”

Like many of the other tourism backed programs in the region, the project is about legacy and local development of talent. ADTA and UK-based Walker are also in the final stages of appointing the team’s other crew members, with plans to include a UAE national in the Sporting Team and another two on the Shore Team. Walker thinks it is crucial to have the right mix of youth and experience and, following his experience with the Green Dragon campaign and the inclusion of Chinese crewman Guo Chuan, he supports the idea of an internationally-represented crew.

“Obviously you need the right mix of skills such as helming, trimming, bowmen, sailmaking, rigging and engineering, yet it is just as important to select people who will work well as a team. We have a unique opportunity to do something special with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. The Volvo Ocean Race is mentally and physically exhausting. The whole project is quite daunting but it is easier to comprehend having done the race before. I have huge respect for the yachts and the race and we will be as prepared as we possibly can be.”

More Middle East Yacht Racing News…

Artemis Challenge Part of Sponsorship Drive for Dee Caffari.

Cowes Week 2010 featured several special events. Along with the 1851 Cup exhibition regatta for old America’s Cup boats and the Extreme Sailing Series, the Artemis Challenge returned to the regatta to showcase the powerful IMOCA 60 offshore sailing yachts and to raise money for charity by involving some celebrities in a special ’round the island race’. Yachtsponsorship.com ‘s David Fuller was aboard Dee Caffari’s boat for the event.

On Tuesday morning, the Artemis hospitality tents at Cowes Week were full of offshore racing talent. The Artemis Challenge is one of the only events where fans of British offshore sailors can see them competing in home waters, even if the race is for publicity and charity. There is something that Dee Caffari, Sam Davies, Brian Thompson, Mike Golding, and Steve White all have in common – they are all looking for sponsorship to allow them to compete in the next Vendee Globe.

Each skipper has a slightly different story to sell to potential promotional partners and each has different strategies for raising the required money to compete at the highest level. Like all sport, it is not always the most talented athletes who do well, but those who can attract the financial backing to put together winning campaigns. Talent and financial backing is the best combination.

The Artemis Challenge is as much about raising sponsorship as it is about raising money for worthy causes. The whole of Cowes Week is an opportunity to sail the 60 foot racing billboards that are the IMOCA 60s in front of thousands of people and really show guests what sponsoring a 60 foot ocean going race yacht is all about.

Dee Caffari has benefited from a five year relationship with Aviva. The company has supported Dee to three world records including becoming the first woman to sail solo, non stop, around the world in both directions. Indeed Aviva’s activation of Dee’s most recent Vendee Globe campaign spanned business press, newspapers and school curricula and their involvement in the Round Britain record generated a huge return on investment (ROI).

But marketing strategies change, and the insurance and investment brand has shifted its promotional budgets to other sports like athletics and more recently rugby. In July, Aviva announced a £20 million deal to replace Guinness as sponsor of premiership rugby in the UK.

As Founding Partner, Aviva will remain a member of the team behind Dee Caffari’s 2012/13 Vendée Globe campaign, but to mount a challenge that could see Caffari become the first British Winner of a Solo Round the world offshore race since Sir Robin Knox Johnston in 1969, new sponsors will need to be found.

Before that Dee will be taking part in the Barcelona World Race with sponsorship from GAES Centros Auditivos brought to the team by her co-skipper for the race Anna Corbella. The organisers of the Barcelona World Race have helped many of the competitors secure budget for the race to ensure the host city gets its required return on investment. As a result, Caffari is working hard to keep her goal of an entry in the next Vendee Globe afloat.

The Artemis Challenge is an important part of Dee’s role as an ambassador for the Toe in the Water charity. The race offers a £10,000 prize for the chosen charity of the winning Skipper. Joined for the race by former England rugby international Martin Bayfield, ‘GAES Centros Auditivos’ came in fourth on the day.

Martin Bayfield commented:

“It was great fun, great people and a great experience and I absolutely loved it. Dee was very gentle and very kind, and very polite about my steering.”

Dee said:

‘We had a great sail to the Needles and after our hand break turn back into the Solent we hoisted the spinnaker. The strong winds and good boat speed made for some exciting sailing to the finish, all of which helped hook Martin into a new sport. We are sad that we didn’t win a pot of money for Toe in the Water but everyone onboard had a great time out on the water which is what Cowes Week is all about.’

While Dee didn’t win the race at Cowes, the sister-ship belonging to Mike Golding did. The result shows that the boat is still competitive and will continue to deliver Aviva and Gaes value. Dee herself will also continue to deliver value to her sponsors, because unlike some of the offshore sailors, who are most at home alone at sea and reluctant media performers, Caffari is a media savvy brand ambassador who can engage audiences from boardrooms to classrooms.

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