Garry Lock, Managing Director Harken Australia said:

‘It is Harken’s commitment to assist the talents of up and coming sailors that led to the association with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Youth Sailing Academy. Harken, globally has a long tradition in encouraging and assisting further development of youth sailing, the future masters of the sport. On the local front, many promising young sailors have gone onto further their sailing careers after training at the CYCA YSA. We are pleased to continue our relationship with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia for a further two years.’

CYCA Commodore Garry Linacre said:

‘It is wonderful to have the support of a great sailing orientated company like Harken. This company was built by sailors, is managed by sailors and it is just wonderful to see Harken supporting young sailors in this way. Harken’s support in providing our Youth Sailing Academy equipment to world class standards is greatly appreciated. To Garry Lock and his team, we thank you for your past involvement and continuing commitment. Your efforts are appreciated and we look forward to your presence around the club to witness the product of your support.’

Harken Australia also sponsors the Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta, conducted annually by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

More Australian Sailing Business News…

Mr Beazley said:

“Two of our main aims at Perth 2011 are to increase awareness of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships and to raise the profile of the sport of sailing. The partnership with WAtoday.com.au will provide a significant boost to the Sailing World Championships with promotion of the Event and the sport, through local and national coverage via its sister sites – smh.com.au, theage.com.au and brisbanetimes.com.au – and through international readership opportunities.”

WAtoday.com.au Marketing Manager Nicola Brandon agreed that the collaboration was exciting saying:

“WAtoday.com.au is thrilled to come on board as the media partner for Perth 2011. This is a great event for sailing and for Perth. WAtoday.com.au delivers Western Australia with high quality breaking news and we look forward to sharing this Event with our visitors.”

The partnership should assist in driving traffic to the Perth 2011 website, however a quick search of the WAtoday.com.au website shows that the media outlet is a little light on sailing content, despite Perth being the home of some of Australia’s best sailors. While the portal reports on Belcher and Page winning the 470 World Championships last week, a search for Torvar Mirsky – who represents Western Australia in the World Match Racing Tour and is ranked 3rd in the world, returns zero search results.

More Olympic Sailing News…

Martin Hill is CEO of Estate Master and one of the greatest Belcher & Page London Challenge 2012 supporters. Malcolm Page is the logistics manager and trimmer for Estate Master’s flagship marketing vehicle, its Farr 40 team. Both teams compete in Asia, the Middle East, Australia and Europe where over 1,300 companies use Estate Master’s real estate valuation software. The teams also compete in North America, which is an expansion market for Estate Master.

It’s no coincidence that the company uses sailing as a marketing platform. A passionate sailor, Hill, is theEstate Master Farr 40 team’s skipper and he and Page won a gold medal in the Tasar at the 2009 Master Games in Sydney. Page rates the win right up there with his other medals. “Martin spent two months training in the boat, and we sailed a textbook style regatta. It was a credit toMartin to show his skills and commitment in an unfamiliar environmentand a perfect example of the business innovation and skills that he uses everyday.”

Says Hill of the Tasar experience; “The old man’s gold medal is definitely a highlight for me as it shows our quickness to take on challenge, our preparation effort (both in Malcolm’s research, preparation and fine tuning of the boat), our training and our attitude in the regatta. Mal’s philosophy all along was, ‘Let us just sail our race and do our best.’ I didn’t even know wehad won the gold medal when we crossed the line.”

Page has been working with Hill and Estate Master for 5 years. “I’m extremely fortunate to have such an understanding employer,” says Page. “As you can imagine, training and competing at this level in the 470 Class is time consuming and keeps me away from home and out of the office for extended periods of time, especially as the Olympics draws near. Martin (Hill) understands and is as flexible as Gumby when it comes to preparing for the Olympic regatta. He is one of the first to say that to be competitive in sailing you need the backing of a team. All of the sailors on his team are grateful for his support, friendship and dedication to the sport. He is a great mentor.”

Page manages the team logistics from a mobile phone and his laptop when he is home in Australia or traveling. There have been times when major Farr 40 regattas overlap with 470 regattas, as was the case with this year’s Farr 40 Word Championship in Caso de Campo, Dominican Republic. It was early enough in the quadrennium that Page raced with the Estate Master Farr 40 team while Australian 470 training partner, Will Ryan, substituted for him in the 470. Belcher and Ryan won Semaine Olympique Francaise, one of the ISAF World Cup regattas.

While Hill and Estate Master understand and tolerate flexible schedules, they demand dedication, preparation and application of science from the sailing team and in the powerful and easy to use property software solutions for property acquisition,disposition, development, management, appraisal and valuation that theyhave developed. Estate Master and its sailing team are leaders in their fields and play a significant role in showcasing Australia’s sailing talent on a world stage.

More Olympic Sailing News…

Volvo will serve as the title sponsor of the Indian International Regatta 2010, having previously served as the event’s exclusive corporate sponsor. Financial terms were not released, however, it is expected to be on similar terms as the two organisations previous agreement, which Sports Pro Magazine estimates at $USD 100,000 per year for 3 years.

Managing director of Volvo Buses, Akash Passey, said,

“We are very proud of our sponsorship of the India International Regatta. Volvo is associated with sponsorship of major sailing championships and connected with loyal and dedicated sailing fans around the world, and as the title sponsor of the ‘India International Regatta,’ we have the honour of extending our relationship with sailors in India too.”

Volvo Penta, Head, S Prabhakaran said:

‘Volvo Penta is committed to promoting the need to preserve and conserve our environment, and sailing is just that sport which connects people to these elements of nature. With the growing popularity of the sport in India, the children are ideal ambassadors for us to help make the change.’

AS Bajwa, Yachting Association of India treasurer, said,

“It is a major step forward in expanding our vision of putting India as the global sailing destination and by tying up with Volvo, the brand leader of sailing races worldwide, it is bound to add tremendous value.”

The regatta to be sailed off Chennai during 03 -10 Oct 2010 is expected to see sailors from Singapore, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Kenya who have evinced keen interest in participating in this year’s event.

The sport of sailing in India is growing fast. As well as increasing participants, India is becoming one of the largest TV markets for sailing content.

More Volvo Sailing News…

UPS, as an Official Supporter of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is responsible for virtually all the distribution and logistics services for the London 2012 Games. The company has completed delivery of the first set of safety and competition officials’ lifeboats to the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, which will serve as the host venue for London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games sailing events.

The twenty-one rigid inflatable boats (RIBs), which have been transported from Valencia, Spain where they were deployed during the 33rd America’s Cup, will play an active part in all of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games sailing events.

Over the course of the next two years, UPS will transport a number of sailing items to the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in time for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, ranging from larger items such as competition boats to flags and signage to be used across the sailing venue.

Alan Williams, UPS Director London 2012 Sponsorship & Operations, said:

“Organising the logistics for an event as equipment-intensive as sailing requires a lot of precision in both the planning and execution phases of delivery. Knowing that these boats will play a vital role in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games sailing events adds an extra layer of pressure, but it’s a challenge we continue to relish as we count down to the Games.”

More Olympic Sailing News…

If the world governing body is going to influence and grow the professional side of the sport, it needs to attract experienced commercial operators that understand the realities of the industry. Sewell has delivered programmes that include some of Cowes Week’s most successful years with Skandia as title sponsor. Sewell has also been involved with the Olympic classes through Skandia Team GBR.

It sounds like he will be busy though. In a statement released by ISAF, Tim’s role at the Secretariat is to oversee the work of Marketing and Media, Events and Training and Development. As if marketing, media and events was not a large enough portfolio on it’s own!

Tim said:

“This is a great opportunity for me. I am really looking forward to my new role, being able to help the sport grow and ultimately put something back into the sport I enjoy so much.”

We look forward to talking to Tim in coming weeks. . .

More appointments…

Australia’s Golden Boys, Mat Belcher and Malcolm Page, are a traveling billboard for Audi. By the time this year’s ISAF World Cup circuit comes to a close in Weymouth at the 2012 Olympic sailing venue, they will have hoisted their spinnaker, which is emblazoned with the Audi rings in Australia, USA, France, Spain, Holland, Germany and the UK. Last week they were in Holland, not far from the frigid North Sea and next week they will be in Germany, the home of Audi.

While the Audi rings bear some resemblance to the Olympic rings, Olympian Malcolm Page says, with a straight face, that seeing them billow out in front of him every time the spinnaker is launched “makes me think about the amazing drive I have experienced in the Audi. It also makes me want to get to the finish line quicker so that I can get into the car and warm up. In Holland the seat warmers are a necessity and bring us back to life after a cold day on the water.”

Page has the privilege of driving an A4 in Australia and the Belcher & Page London Challenge 2012 Men’s 470 Olympic sailing campaign has been traveling throughout Europe this season in an Audi Q7. Says Page of the Q7; “It’s a life saver for the four months that we are in Europe this year. The larger car allows us to cart our ‘lives’ from country to country, and the single best thing about the Q7 is its ability to tow the coach boat and our two 470′s around Europe. The ride is so smooth that we don’t realize that all of our equipment is attached to or on top of the car.”

Belcher and Page estimate that they will only drive about 8,000 kilometers throughout Europe in 2010 because their regattas are relatively close together this year. During the remainder of the year, when they are home in Australia, both sailors will put nearly 25,000 kilometers on their A4′s. “They are a work of art, not just a motor vehicle,” says Page. “They seem to have the best balance between style and performance.”

Speaking for his teammates, Page continues, “We feel very privileged to have the support of Audi. We are trying to achieve the same standards of excellence in our campaign that Audi has attained with its cars. They have developed reliable, industry-leading equipment that is attractive… although looking good is a little bit beyond our control.”

Arriving in Marseille, France in our lovely Q7 3.0TDI. Photo taken by Victor Kovalenko

The Belcher & Page London Challenge 2012 campaign is sponsored in part by AUDI, Acuity, Estate Master Sailing, Sands Resorts, Australian Sailing Team, Australian Institute of Sport, Austin Brothers, Professional Investment Services, Ronstan and generous employers, family and friends. Join the Challenge contact them at http://www.belcherpage2012.com/

More Audi Sailing News…

Despite the global event status, and large corporate backing of many of the teams competing, event organisers continue to announce relatively small, local sponsorship deals. The latest is Western Australian brewer Little Creatures, who will receive great benefits from their association.

Perth 2011 Director of Commercial Operations Darren Beazley said:

“Little Creatures produces Western Australia’s favourite beer at one of Fremantle’s favourite destinations, which makes them a natural fit as the Official Beer of the Sailing World Championships. Come December 2011, this Fremantle ‘institution’ will be located in the epicentre for the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships. Little Creatures will have the chance to promote their quality beverages to an audience that will provide them with tremendous local, national and international exposure. Perth 2011 is delighted to have a partnership with a brewer that is ‘best of breed’, uniquely Western Australian and mirrors our youthful approach to promoting the World Championships.”

Little Creatures Head of Creative Development Miles Hull agreed that the marketing and promotional prospects are exciting and that Perth 2011 and the brewer had today formed a mutually beneficial partnership.

“Given our Brewery’s location in the heart of the World Championships, we are very excited that one of the biggest sailing events in Australian sporting history is coming to Fremantle. We trust that visitors, tourists and locals alike will enjoy our great beer, amongst the fantastic atmosphere that this world-class Event will bring to the Fremantle waterside.”

Perth 2011 is a great opportunity not just for Western Australia but Fremantle, in particular, and we’ll be highlighted on the national and international stage. Fremantle has such a terrific community and Little Creatures is very proud to be playing a major role in partnering with Perth 2011 to promote it to the world.”

More Perth 2011 News…

The City of Kerteminde in Denmark will stage the 2010 RS:X World Windsurfing Championships from 27 August – 5 September and the event will feature a new platform created by Zenitel and TracTrac.

‘Sailstream – You are the producer’ will allow spectators in Kerteminde to watch the racing on giant screens ashore and give a global audience the opportunity to watch live action on their computer screens. The idea behind the concept is a combination of GPS-tracking, live streaming and course commentary, which should make the spectator experience exceptionally exciting.

Jacob Møhl from Sail Event Kerteminde says:

“This game changing technology lets the spectator choose which video stream he or she wishes to watch, hence the tag line ‘You Are The Producer’. Both the tracking technology and live video images will be seen on the same web page.”

The core of the concept is that three or more video cameras can move independently from point to point on the race track, transmitting directly from the water to the Internet. This will allow key points of the course to be moniored including the start, mark roundings and slalom sections of the course as well as the finish.

Spectators can choose the prefferred camera angle and the GPS tracking adds an extra data stream to make following the competitors more easy. Live commentary will add yet another layer of coverage to explain the images to a wider audience.

Mike Dempsey, RS:X Class President said:

“It’s fantastic for the RS:X Class to be so closely involved in this cutting edge development which will bring Olympic sailing closer to a global audience than ever before. We have been working hard to develop our online media presence for three years. Now with ‘Sailstream’, we’re moving on to cloud servers to handle the expected traffic.”

The city of Kerteminde, anxious to brand itself as the world’s most cozy Lilliputian sailing city will be dressed for the RS:X World Championships. It has officially named the week ‘World Water Week’ and will stage a lot of water related side-activities.

More Streaming and Tracking News…

An elite builder of custom superyachts in the United States, Trinity Yachts was founded by John Dane III, who represented the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games in the Star class. After 40 years of Olympic sailing aspirations, Dane knows first-hand how much hard work and dedication an Olympic and Paralympic campaign entails. Trinity Yachts’ sponsorship of the team is a testimonial to Dane’s confidence in the athletes and the direction of the program, which he knows well.

As part of their new silver partnership, Trinity Yachts will provide direct funding, as well as a 43-foot RIB to be used by the program in Weymouth, England, at the venue of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Competitions.

The US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics is made up of the United States’ top athletes in each of the 10 Olympic and three Paralympic classes who train together with the common goals of winning medals at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Weymouth, England.

USSTAG’s Commercial Director Dan Cooney said:

“Trinity Yachts has built a legendary reputation that has withstood Hurricane Katrina’s destruction and the 2008 financial collapse. We love the association with this world-class company that is winning against the world’s best by being smart and resilient. That’s a recipe for success that works for us, and we are grateful for their increased support and commitment to our athletes.”

Dane, who is also an active US SAILING board member.

“Trinity Yachts is very pleased to once again support all the great American athletes who are striving to make the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics the best in the world.”

More US SAiling Team News…