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…

Team NZ Enter Volvo Ocean Race with Sponsorship from Camper.

Another one of yacht racing’s worst kept secrets was officially announced yesterday. The battle for the hearts, minds and soles of yacht racing fans will be contested by Camper, the Spanish-based international footwear manufacturer. The brand will sponsor an entry in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2011-12. The campaign will be run by Emirates Team New Zealand. The announcement clarified some rumours, but started some new ones with Emirates Team NZ team boss Grant Dalton suggesting that given the lack of conflict with the America’s Cup, Alinghi may also enter the race.

Camper is the second shoe brand to announce an entry in the race, with global sports giant PUMA also announcing its plans to compete. Camper is a family-owned company which started making shoes on the Spanish island of Majorca in 1877. Today Camper operates directly 320 stores and ‘shop-in-shop’ locations in 42 countries and distributes its products through 2800 independent retailers. The sponsorship is believed to be in the region of 25 Million Euros.

In announcing the Volvo Ocean Race project, Camper said:

‘Competing in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011–12 provides Camper with the motivation to continue improving the quality of its products and its presence around the world. The history and the authenticity of the race, the human adventure, the effort, the desire to improve and the teamwork fully fit the Camper values. The Mediterranean as a territory and as a culture has always been at the centre of the Camper image. From Alicante this round-the-world race will be, without a doubt, a strong source of inspiration for the future of a brand that walks with imagination.

For us it is a privilege to take our first steps in the Volvo Ocean Race together with Emirates Team New Zealand, undoubtedly one of the most prestigious professional sailing teams in the world. Despite New Zealand being in the antipodes of Majorca, we feel very close to them sharing their way of thinking and so Emirates Team New Zealand makes us feel confident when undertaking this project.’

The Spanish sponsorship and identity will be treated very favourably under Spanish tax law, believed to return a 2:1 credit on every Euro invested in a project of this type.

The entrance of the New Zealand team was made possible through the expectation that the next America’s Cup will not take place until 2013 or 2014. The announcement is also another example of the growth of sailing ‘super-teams’; franchises that compete and leverage their sponsors across multiple platforms. Team New Zealand will not give up on the America’s Cup, rather it will split its activities across different disciplines.

Emirates Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton says:

‘The Volvo project instantly energises our team, allows our designers and engineers to get going and in Camper we have found a great partner. They are a family company with family values and a culture that fits very well with Emirates Team New Zealand and our family of sponsors. The team has the capacity to integrate a Volvo Ocean Race campaign to sit alongside its commitments to the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas, the Audi MedCup 2010 and the next America’s Cup.

‘With Louis Vuitton, the team started the Louis Vuitton Trophy, Dean Barker and the team campaigned successfully on the Audi MedCup TP52 circuit last year and now we have a Volvo Ocean Race campaign to organise from scratch.’

Long time supporter of the team, Emirates Airlines will also benefit from the deal with the race scheduled to make a stopover in Abu-Dhabi. Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Corporate Communication, Boutros Boutros, said:

‘We are very pleased to continue our support of Emirates Team New Zealand through this venture. It will add a further dimension to the global reach of our sponsorship of the team, which has already been very successful for Emirates through the America’s Cup, the Louis Vuitton Trophy and the Audi MedCup. With this latest diversification, there are many benefits for the team, for New Zealand, and for Emirates, as well of course for Camper.

‘It will be fantastic to see the team competing in the United Arab Emirates, the home country of Emirates, when the Volvo Ocean Race comes to the capital city of Abu Dhabi. It will be a good opportunity to showcase what the UAE can offer in terms of five-star infrastructure, tourism and business attractions. ‘We are sure that this campaign will be run by Emirates Team New Zealand in the same thorough and competitive manner as all of its previous efforts, and we are only too happy to be associated with an initiative that meets the same professional standards that we continually strive to maintain as an airline.’

Not only will the Volvo Ocean Race start in Spain, the home of Camper and pass through home of Emirates Airlines, the race will also call in at Auckland. The arrival of Team New Zealand into the harbour will be an eagerly anticipated event of the race. CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race,  Knut Frostad said:

‘We are delighted to welcome Grant Dalton and Emirates Team New Zealand to the Volvo Ocean Race, which gives us our first proper New Zealand entry for many years. Dalton, a former winner of this event, brings with him not only a wealth of experience, but a very charismatic and highly competitive team of sailors. The people of Auckland will surely be very proud to watch the progress of Emirates Team New Zealand as it takes on some of the world’s best. I would also like to welcome Camper to the Volvo Ocean Race family. We look forward to working with their strong international brand, elevating the profile of their new team and our race.’

The Emirates Team New Zealand design team, headed by principal designer Marcelino Botin, will design the yacht. It will be built by Cookson Yachts, Auckland, and launched in the first quarter of 2011 before been sea-trialled and shipped to the Atlantic coast of Spain. The yacht will be called Camper and will carry the burgees of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and the Real Club Náutico de Palma.

Video of Grant Dalton talking on NZ television…

Photo Credit – Emirates Team New Zealand / Photo Chris Cameron ETNZ ©

The Money or The Race – Volvo Ocean Race Announces Abu Dhabi Stopover.

The reality of modern professional sport is that money dictates much of the decision making process. That’s not news, but some decisions highlight just how much the sporting agenda is reliant on commercial backers in the parts of the sport where organisers have to attract funds from third parties and not rely on rich owners.

In the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, organisers took a risk and opened new sailing markets by diverting the course of the round the world race to India and China. While the stops allowed Volvo to promote commercial vehicles to growing markets, new audiences were also exposed to sailing.

Now, with the announcement of  Abu Dhabi as a stopover for the 2011-2012 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, organisers have shown that they are willing to re-route the race almost anywhere to meet their commercial goals. The addition of the UAE stop will see boats having to sail up the east coast of Africa, past Somalia and close to the Iranian waters that BMW ORACLE said made the sailing of the America’s Cup in RAK impossible.

Race Director, Jack Lloyd told the UK Telegraph;

“We wouldn’t be targets in that we won’t be carrying millions of barrels of oil but kidnapping is a risk. We have systems in place for negotiations in case there is a kidnapping and the sailors will be made fully aware of the risks so they are prepared, just like last time.”

Well it is sold as life at the extreme…

The announcement signals that the Volvo Ocean Race has arrived as a major sporting event. Countries that want to promote themselves to a global audience are now saying – we need an F1 Grand Prix, we need to host a World Cup, we need to host an Olympic Games and we need to be a stopover on the Volvo Ocean Race. The news that neighbouring emirate Dubai will host the Louis Vuitton Series later this year would also have helped the VOR organisers in a very competitive region.

The agreement was signed between His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, the director general of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad.

Abu Dhabi has a well known objective to be the first place thought about when people think of the UAE. The first Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix was raced in 2009 and the growth of Etihad Airlines has shown that the emirate will do whatever it takes to raise its standing on the global stage. Little wonder then that Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad said:

“We found in Abu Dhabi an incredible synergy. This destination has a long maritime history which it wishes to elevate to a new era while celebrating the achievements of the past. There was a willingness to meet our requirements, an understanding of the participants’ needs and an enthusiasm which simply stood out ahead of others.”

A boat from Abu Dhabi will also take its place on the start line of the 2011-12 race in Alicante, Spain in the autumn of next year. Team Abu Dhabi, a crew specially selected by the ADTA will campaign a new Volvo Open 70 which will be built in the UAE capital by the Abu Dhabi Mar Group.

His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi elaborated on how the race

“It is our ambition to include a UAE national in the crew who will be our ocean ambassador representing the emirate’s long seafaring heritage. The locally-constructed boat will also signal our potential as a new build and repair port, which will recall the heady days when vessels made on these shores set sail for months of pearling expeditions and proved to be among the sturdiest afloat.”

The new marina being built at Emirates Palace, the emirate’s signature hotel, will be the focal point of the host port.

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…

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