The Royal Southern Yacht Club recently announced a calendar of events to celebrate their 175th Anniversary, including a new offshore race – the Biscay 2012. One of the sponsors of the race will be Sunsail – more specifically, Sunsail Racing – and the tie-up is a clever one.

As Sunsail rolls out its new fleets of Sunsail F40s, they are creating one of the largest identically matched fleets in the world. One design racing has a huge fan base as sailors love to know how good they are against their competition given the same boat and budget – it’s one of the reasons that the MOD70 is gaining ground over other classes that are ‘open’.

Sponsorship of Biscay 2012, doesn’t just give Sunsail Racing a good platform to help re-position the brand as a racing product, it also gives sailors a reason to charter – not just for the race itself, but for practice.

Simon Conder; Sunsail UK Head of Marketing said;

“This is a great partnership for Sunsail, the Royal Southern Yacht Club is a prestigious sailing club and the new fleet of F40s are the perfect boats for this challenging and exciting race. The Biscay 2012 is a great addition to the Sunsail Racing Events Calendar and will challenge crews, whilst allowing fantastic stop-over locations.”

The deal is win-win – Royal Southern gets the prospect of 40 extra boats on the start line of the new race. Sunsail get to show racing sailors that they have changed – that the boats were built with racing in mind and they also get to tempt offshore sailors who want to compete in a big offshore race, the chance to do so without having their own boat.

Sponsorship seekers are still sometimes not very scientific with the way they prospect. They may see a brand sponsoring another sport and think – ‘well if they sponsor them, perhaps they will sponsor us too..’ Others target broadly by industry – reasoning that financial services seem to have a lot of money so they would be a good place to start.

A little bit of thinking about what the sponsor might want out of the deal helps to create deals that work. Sailing is increasingly used as a mechanism to drive travel and tourism, but apart from the government backed destination marketing budgets, there are relatively few travel and tourism sponsors in the sport.

There are of course some recognizable brands, like Emirates Airlines, The Wave Muscat and W Hotels, and smaller events often have local hotel partners, however – brands that stand to gain from increased direct revenue rather than some magical media value number can often be the best sponsorship partners.

So how does Sunsail Racing make more money out of sponsoring a race in Europe in 2012? Well as the press release says:

Competitors for Biscay 2012 are able to build their racing miles in the F40s in the Sunsail Racing Programme in the Canary Islands this winter and in the UK next year. The four Regattas in the Royal Southern Yacht Club’s 2012 summer racing programme will also count towards crew qualification for the Biscay 2012 race.

A good deal for brand, event organiser and sailors….

• More Travel & Tourism news.

As entrepreneurial promoters fight to own the world market for competitive yacht racing, one organisation already has a presence in more countries than the America’s Cup, World Match Racing Tour, Extreme Sailing Series and Volvo Ocean Race combined. ISAF is involved with all parts of the sport, and taking advantage of this global presence is Atlantis WeatherGear, which has been selected as the World Governing Body’s “Officials Clothing Sponsor.”

Whether the phrase “Officials Clothing Sponsor” is a typo or a brilliant piece of marketing, it made us smile.

The partnership between Atlantis and ISAF  is for four years and umpires and officials will get a kit including polo shirts, baseball cap, watership hat and dry bags. ISAF’s Race Officials will be also be offered a selection of branded items from the Atlantis range.

ISAF has over 700 volunteer race officials based around the world performing the roles of international judges, race officers, measurers and umpires at sailing events worldwide. Providing them with clothing is no simple task, so ISAF will be drawing on Atlantis’ experience and expertise to manage an on-line ordering system and delivery as well as offering high quality products that are proven to be fit for purpose.

Atlantis’ head of marketing Bill Lynn said:

“We’re thrilled that ISAF has selected Atlantis as their clothing partner. This relationship will help us gain visibility for our brand at the world’s premiere sailing events while putting ISAF’s influential race officials in gear that they will love.”

The sailing clothing and apparel sector is becoming increasingly competitive with brands from all over the world searching for ways to stay relevant for hard-core racers, cruising sailors and non-sailors who want a marine inspired look.

Partnering with the people who make and interpret the rules, could have a slightly negative conotation – it’s not as cool as being the clothes worn by the rock-star athletes, but then again, endorsement from the world governing body of the sport is something that will resonate with audiences in places where ISAF events take place that have never heard of some of the other series.

• More Sailing Clothing News
• More ISAF News

With the Defender of the America’s Cup being the Golden Gate Yacht Club, based in San Francisco, the epicentre of American start-up territory, perhaps it is little wonder that the new America’s Cup looks and behaves like a dot-com circa 1999. With angel funding and a business model based on vapourware, the America’s Cup is keeping with one historic principle – the close relationship between the cup and entrepreneurial risk takers.

Many of the America’s Cup challengers are also start-ups and Wang Chaoyong, Chairman of China team, there are a lot of similarities between starting a cup team from scratch and an entrepreneurial start-up. In an interview on the teams section of the official America’s Cup site, he says:

The courage and skill to take on the waves and storms on the sea is very much like that required of an entrepreneur navigating the market.

The interview is an interesting insight into the reasons why people compete for the America’s Cup. While winning the trophy and bringing it back ‘home’ is the motivator for some, Team China has multiple reasons for taking part. Several countries use sailing to promote maritime heritage – perhaps the most successful being Oman through their Oman Sail project.

Promoting China’s seafaring tradition is one of the reasons that Team China are challenging for the America’s Cup. Wang Chaoyong says:

By forming Team China to participate in a trophy that has a 160 year old history, we can demonstrate our maritime tradition and we can also show that we want to become a strong maritime nation.

Entrepreneurialism is also part of the mission, Wang Chaoyong says that the second reason to compete is:

Entrepreneurial spirit, fighting spirit and spirit of technological advance and teamwork are represented by sailing. Sailing represents the pursuit of quality of life and the spirit of freedom. By supporting Team China in the America’s Cup, I want to show the world the aspirations of a new generation of entrepreneurs.

The audience for the new cup is still a bit confused. Talk of Youtube and Facebook and a younger generation perhaps misses the opportunity and the demographic that sponsors are aiming for. The destination marketing folk will be happy to know that sailors will travel to places that are identifiable as sailing venues. Wang Chaoyong says:

Sailing has made my life more colorful. More and more of my entrepreneur friends are becoming sailing fans. I bring them along and my vacations are planned around sailing.

According to Wang Chaoyong, Team China is a commercial team.

We do not rely on the government. Instead, we raise funds from private sources to participate. The America’s Cup seems unattainable with sailing powers of the world backed by ‘big company sponsors in the west.’

Whether the new America’s Cup can provide a exit for investors that brings a return on investment, or whether it is a hype-filled bubble will play out over the next few years, but in the mean-time, the money will have to come from angels, venture capitalists and early stage investors with a big appetite for risk.

Watch the full interview on Youtube

• More America’s Cup Business News
• More China Sailing News

During the 5th Commodores’ Forum of the International Council of Yacht Clubs (ICOYC) held last year at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Perth, the attendees discussed sponsorshipfrom the point of view of Yacht Clubs as event organisers. The following is taken from the ICOYC newsletter published in July.

‘Five lessons learned’ when dealing with sponsors.

John McNeill, Staff Commodore of the St Francis Yacht Club.

1. Understanding that sponsors want eyeballs, reaching people through our activities to sell their products or services.
2. Work to the sponsors schedule and their marketing goals.
3. Set up a press room with a view of the starting line.
4. Help fulfill their goals without compromising the culture of your own club.
5. Sell the long term – your best sponsors should become your good friends.

Ragnar Klevaas, Past Commodore, Royal Norwegian Yacht Club.

1. Norway’s public sector is rich due to oil and the government supports many activities.
2. There are no big brand names like in Denmark or Sweden.
3. Popular sports in Norway are winter sports and football.
4. Sailing does not receive any media coverage hence very little sponsorship.
5. Good relations have been built with private banking sponsors.

Russell Murphy, Commodore, Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.

1. Sponsorship is no free lunch …
2. Most sponsors with products, profile and funds have extremely well-managed marketing departments, clubs underestimate that relationships require professional management.
3. At their club, sponsors do not pay in cash, their sponsors do it in kind.
4. Relying on cash will make the club vulnerable in case an event sponsor withdraws.
5. Without proper measurement, yacht clubs have little understanding of values and events – making them vulnerable to selling events cheap.

Craig Peploe, General Manager, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

1. It is essential that someone in the club is responsible for account managing the significant sponsor.
2. Legwork must include maintaining the relationship and looking after the more immediate needs of the sponsor including regular communication.
3. The club must provide as much advance notice as possible to actions expected of them, functions they need to attend, invitations to other events, etc.
4. It is a lot easier to retain a current sponsor than it is for them to leave and have to recruit another. Significant sponsorships should be for a minimum three-year term.
5. The club’s database needs to be protected – guidelines need to be established for when it is acceptable for a sponsor to direct market to members.

Inge Strompf-Jepsen, Past Commodore, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.

1. Do not promise a sponsor something that you cannot deliver!
2. Understand what the sponsor is trying to achieve – work with the sponsor but manage their expectations.
3. Help get the sponsor’s message across – if a request is reasonable look at whether it is possible to make it happen.
4. Retain control – the running of the event should not be dictated by the sponsor!
5. Respect your sponsor – ensure the sailors know who the sponsor is and that they show their respect and appreciation.

For the full Article (PDF) click here…

When the MOD70 was announced, we were slightly sceptical about plans for yet another class of offshore yacht – no matter how many hulls. The world of professional sailing already has calendar clashes and multiple promoters competing for the attention of a relatively small audience. TheMOD70 though, has slowly but surely been sticking to its plan and some of the world’s best offshore sailors and teams are signed up to take part.

One of the biggest advantages that the MOD70 has is in the name – it is a one design. One design racing provides lots of reasons for teams, sailors, fans (and sponsors) to be more interested in the event including:

• Cost control
• Closer racing
• Less focus on the platform and more focus on the sailors

Desjoyeaux said:

I’ve always said that multihulls are the finest race machines in ocean racing. I focused my attentions on another objective for a while, with the Vendée Globe 2008-2009, but my real passion has always been the multihull… The creation of the MOD70 circuit was an opportunity and a half and Foncia and I were one of the first to announce our intention to take part in it. They are fantastic machines.

Truly battling it out on an equal footing is deeply satisfying on a purely competitive level. It places greater emphasis on the sailors themselves, so man is back at the heart of the action. The difference will be made as regards how the machine is used.”

Franck David said:

“Each of our launches is a special moment, which marks the end of a build and fit-out for our team and the start of the on-the-water adventure for the team who receive their MOD70. Today, it’s the turn of Foncia and MOD70 No.03. We wish Michel Desjoyeaux and all his team a smooth handover and a great deal of enjoyment on the water aboard their new trimaran! Indeed this won’t be long in coming because in just a month and half, during the Krys Match, we’ll have the pleasure of seeing the first three MOD70s sailing together alongside Sébastien Josse and his crew, who will receive their MOD70 No.4, Edmond de Rothschild Group, just a few weeks later.”

The rules of the MOD70 limit the number of competitors from any one country to 4. Unsurprisingly, France already has 3 teams flying the flag. Despite the large number of British sailors who competed in the last Vendee Globe, there are no UK teams announced yet for the MOD70 series.

Admittedly, the series is still a little bit of a gamble for a sponsor. There hasn’t been a race yet which is a very different sell than the Vendee Globe which can guarantee a huge audience and return on investment. But given that the MOD70 organisers have delivered on almost every milestone they said they would, it is an event that is certainly worth watching.