New partners join World Yacht Racing Forum #WYRF

This just in, so not much of a chance to put our spin on it. CUT… PASTE…

The World Yacht Racing Forum is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Barcelona World Race, which joins Monaco based Horus Watches as Official Sponsors of the second Forum in Monaco from 9-10 December. Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) is Presenting Sponsor.

The Barcelona World Race is the double-handed round the world race sailed on IMOCA 60’s. The event is due to start on December 31, 2010 in Barcelona. “The World Yacht Racing Forum in Monaco promises to draw together the very best from the world of professional yacht racing, and as one of the leading events in the ocean racing calendar, the Barcelona World Race is rightly present, says Barcelona World Race Director General Andor Serra. “At just over one year from the start of the race, this gathering of the top people in the sport is a great communications and networking platform for the Barcelona World Race.”

Also joining the Forum as sponsor of the luncheon on Day 2 of the conference is the World Match Racing Tour, the world’s leading professional sailing series and official ISAF Special Event. Under new management, the Tour will present its new structure and program during the Forum on Thursday, December 10.

Held in parallel to the Forum, the inaugural Yacht Racing Design & Technology Symposium also welcomes the support of of Awlgrip and Holmatroas Silver Sponsors.
Owned by the Dutch multinational AkzoNobel since 2002, Awlgrip is a world leader in topside paint systems for professionals, with products specially developed for the yachting environment. Since 1967, Holmatro has manufactured and supplied high-pressure hydraulic equipment for specialised industries around the world. Holmatro Marine Equipment specialises in onboard hydraulic systems, meeting the needs of modern or classic yacht sailors.

The World Yacht Racing Forum and Design & Technology Symposium will once again create the platform for delegates to debate the key issues that are critical to the future of yacht racing. The event will focus on the socio-economic aspects of the sport as well as developments in media coverage and the technical and commercial aspects of large-scale sailing events, especially in terms of their organisation and promotion. Subjects such as new media, cost-cutting measures, the America’s Cup, Race Management, Composite Technology and Event Management will be presented and debated by the yachting’s leading figures plus industry experts from other sports including Formula 1 motorsports.

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By the way – we’re using the hashtag #wyrf for Twitter posts about the World Yacht Racing Forum.

Sailing in the Middle East Hots Up. Bertarelli On TV in the UAE.

Ernesto Bertarelli has appeared on tv in the UAE to talk about the America’s Cup and the chances of the race being held in the area. The interview coincided yesterday with an announcement from Alinghi that SNG would appeal the latest court decision overturning the choice of venue for the 33rd edition of the cup.

The statement included:

The Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), is to appeal New York Supreme Court Justice Kornreich’s decision of 30 October rejecting Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates as the venue for the 33rd America’s Cup. SNG has applied for an expedited appeal to avoid any delay to the February 2010 Deed of Gift Match.

The choice of Ras Al Khaimah was made based on the plain language of Justice Cahn’s (Kornreich’s predecessor) May 2008 Court Order that ruled the location of the 33rd America’s Cup Match to be in ‘Valencia or any other location selected by the SNG’.

While Alinghi have buried the video with Ernesto Bertarelli behind their “Alinghi Friends” signup page, the ever helpful ‘Astrid in Dubai’ has put it up on Youtube.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the region, the OC Group has launched an online brochure for the A100, including plans for several races and courses that use the waters that BMW ORACLE and GGYC allege are infested with terrorists. One of the races, the “Tour of Arabia” includes Kuwait and the UAE (though not Ras Al Khaimah) then passes through the narrow strait between the UAE and Iran.

Those watching the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix over the weekend will have seen how a lot of money can turn an desert into an oasis of sport, but it’s hard to see an American court put aside years of middle eastern prejudice and reverse the decision made last week.

The lawyers keep taking the sailor’s money and it goes on… and on… and on…

Watchmaker Horus Signs as Informa Yacht Group Main Partner.

Informa Yacht Group, the organisers of the Superyacht Cup and World Yacht Racing Forum have announced that watchmaker Horus and broadband provider Ship Eqip have resigned as sponsors.

Horus will become the title sponsor of the Superyacht Cup in a three year deal. They will become a main partner of all Infoma Yacht Group events.

André Grossmann, creator of the Horus time wear brand:

“This partnership is above all a real commitment. The Informa Yacht Group organise exclusive and top quality yachting events all around the world. These special events gather high-profile individuals who look for the finest things and the most innovative and creative products. To be associated with such an organisation gives us access to the most prestigious marketing platform in the world of yachting. The locations where the different events take place – including Abu Dhabi, Monaco and Palma, are welcoming and proactive cities who work hard to develop and promote their destination to high-end tourism.”

Informa Yacht Group’s Managing Director Andy Treadwell says:

“We are absolutely delighted to have Horus as a main sponsor for the group. We are actively seeking truly international partners, with exclusive and world-leading brands, who are interested in supporting our events in all the different areas where we currently operate. Horus are a very dynamic and ambitious new company in their sector, and we love their enthusiasm and approach. As with the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, we are researching several new projects at the moment in areas where we believe there is a lot of potential to develop high-end events for the future. To do this, we need to have the right business partners on board.”

The Superyacht Cup has also resigned broadband provider Ship Eqip for a second year’s support of the Superyacht Cup.

World Yacht Racing Forum Opens in 7 Days

This time next week, I’ll be attending the World Yacht Racing Forum in Monaco along with an estimated 250 delegates. Thirty five speakers from seventeen countries will address the two day conference in a series of presentations, panel discussions and debates about some of the key issues facing the business of the sport of yacht racing.

Amongst the highlights of the event, an America’s Cup debate will unite team Alinghi and BMW ORACLE Racing, with Alinghi’s Brad Butterworth and BMW ORACLE Racing’s Tom Ehman joining Paul Cayard, Sir Keith Mills, Alessandra Pandarese and Stéphane Kandler on the panel.

Hosted by the Informa Yacht Group,a division of one of the world’s largest conference organizers Informa plc, the Forum will assemble the world’s leading sailing events, racing teams, media, TV networks and top sailing venues to discuss the opportunities for the future of yacht racing. Some of the key companies in sailing sponsorship will also be in attendance to assess the benefits and returns that sailing can deliver as a sponsorship platform.

The World Yacht Racing Forum will run in tandem with the fourth edition of the Motor Sport Business Forum, also taking place form 10-11 December at the Grimaldi Forum venue. Delegates from both Forums will have exclusive access to the networking and exhibition area of each Forum. The ‘Track & Ocean’ cocktail party on Wednesday 10th will provide a first ever opportunity for participants within both these high profile sports to meet and network with each other.

The Yacht Club de Monaco is the official host of the first edition of the conference, under the Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II. The Yacht Club de Monaco is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious yacht clubs, located in the heart of Monte Carlo.

For last minute registrations for the Forum, visit www.worldyachtracingforum.com

Airlines Lead Middle East Sponsorship Growth

The UAE is spending big to achieve regional dominance and sport is benefiting. Recent high profile sailing sponsorships from the region include Team Oman’s eXtreme 40 campaign, the Kindom of Bahrain’s backing of Pindar Vendee Globe and match racing efforts and Emirates continued support for New Zealand’s Americas Cup team. 

As the national carriers, airlines like Emirates and Etihad understand the connection between high profile professional sport and marketing. In an article in The National, Peter Baugartner, the Executive Vice President of Marketing for Ethihad says “Sponorship is a substantial amount of Etihad’s marketing budget, and that has a reason. Especially when you are a young brand, a sponsorship can help you to really accelerate your brand awareness.”

Abu Dhabi is sponsoring the innaugural World Yacht Racing Forum in Monaco in December. 

He points to the company’s sponsorships with international brands such as Formula One, Ferrari and Chelsea football club as examples of opportunities for the growing airline to communicate to a global audience.

The airline also targets sports such as All-Ireland Hurling, that may not be well known abroad, but are intensely popular in a market where Etihad has an important connection. “It’s something that is part of their culture, that’s very close to their heart,” he says. “We immediately built emotional loyalty that normally in the value chain comes at the very end… It gave us overnight fame in Ireland.”

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