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.

Dominique Wavre Announces Mirabaud Sponsorship For Multiple Campaigns.

Some sponsorship news from the IMOCA 60 Class. While many competitors from the last Vendee Globe are still shopping for backers,  Dominique Wavre has announced that Swiss Private Bank, Mirabaud, will sponsor his Barcelona World Race 2010, Transat Jacques Vabre 2011 and Vendée Globe 2012 campaigns.

Dominique Wavre has participated in seven round-the-world races. In the Vendée Globe, he placed fifth in 2001 and fourth in 2004, before winning a splendid third place at the Barcelona World Race 2007-08 with his co-skipper Michèle Paret.

Antonio Palma, Partner and CEO of Mirabaud, explained the reasons for the partnership by saying:

“Our partnership with Dominique Wavre is in line with our continuous support for sailing, but opens up new horizons for us. In recent years, we have supported numerous projects that all shared the same quest for excellence and high technical prowess. Our entry into the 60-foot IMOCA class will enable us to reach a new public and to strengthen our attachment to this sport. We are delighted to be sharing these moments of intense emotion with Dominique and his team. ”

Mirabaud is teaming up with Dominique Wavre for a long-term, international programme founded on a common set of sporting, technological and human values. We were captivated by Dominique’s determination and expertise. His rational, calculated approach appealed to us, as well as the highly technical nature of his project. We decided to commit ourselves to the multi-year venture because it embodies numerous values that are dear to us : enterprising spirit, competition, striving for excellence, and technology. ”

The Open 60 Mirabaud allows us to enter a new phase and broaden our horizons.  The Mirabaud Group has grown constantly in recent years, and as we have expanded, we have opened subsidiaries around the world…including in Spain, where the Barcelona World Race will start on 31 December of this year! It was only logical that our sporting ambitions should expand in kind, with the symbolic aim of going around the world.

The partnership between Mirabaud and Dominique Wavre will enable Venture Finanzas, Mirabaud’s new subsidiary in Spain, to communicate actively in this market. The Spanish financial company will begin operating under the Mirabaud brand by mid year, and will be directly associated with the Barcelona World Race via The Mirabaud racing yacht. ”

Mirabaud has participated in sailing competitions since 2005 as the main partner of the Bol d’Or Mirabaud, the world’s largest freshwater regatta. It also sponsors Thomas Jundt’s hydrofoil sailboat, the Mirabaud LX, one of the most innovative prototypes of the decade. Mirabaud is moreover the main partner for the Surprise category on Lake Geneva ( the Mirabaud trophy ) and supported the UK women’s Yngling racing team, gold medal winners at the Beijing Olympic games.

Dominique Wavre and Michèle Paret will be at the start line in Barcelona on 31 December for this double-handed, round-the-world regatta with no stops. It will be a 3-month race of the highest level, and a thrilling human adventure – not only for the crew onboard the Mirabaud, but for the supporters, friends and partners of this ambitious project as well.

Photo : Jean-Guy Python / Mirabaud: From left to right: Andor Serra, Dominique Wavre, Michèle Paret, Antonio Palma.

What’s Being Said on Twitter About the Transat Jacques Vabres.

Here’s a collection of what people are saying about the TJV which starts today in La Havre.
The Official site is at: http://www.jacques-vabre.com/en/s01_home/s01p01_home.php

IMOCA AGM Focus on Safety and Fleet Numbers.

The IMOCA Class has held its AGM with a focus being on reliability, safety and the long term success of the class.

Dominique Wavre, President of the Class said:

“the resolutions that have been adopted are very important… All members are in agreement that the Class needs to continue evolving in order to ensure the success of the Vendée Globe and to offer all skippers, sponsors and followers a good race programme. As we have done up until now. We also need to confront the present economic crisis with a spirit that will ensure the highest possible number of boats at the start of races.”

As a result of the high number of incidents during the Vendee Globe, much attention was given to safety withing the boat rule. Here are some of the decisions:

• To limit the number of sails to 10 (no matter how many crew onboard);
• To limit the number of appendages to 5 (1 keel, 2 rudders, and 2 dagger boards.)
• To establish a maximum mast height.
• New keel tests for tortion, bending and vibration.

The last resolution will also improve safety by limiting the strength of the masts. It is a direct result of the number of breakages in the Vendée Globe.

Other safety measures include – the study of how to make the use of the boom easier when setting up a jury rig.

Sustainable energy was also discussed. The members of the assembly agreed that there is a need to develop new technology in this area. One of the future rules will permit the development of electrical engines that will function through wind, solar or hydrodynamic generators.

The race calendar has also been defined. The most awaited decision was confirmation of the European Pro Tour starting from Istanbul with stopovers in Nice, Barcelona, a UK port (to be confirmed) and Brest. The other regattas in the calendar will be the Transat Jacques Vabre, the Route Du Rhum, The Barcelona World Race and the Vendée Globe.

The new board of IMOCA was also voted and agreed on as follows:

• President Dominique Wavre;
• Vice Presidents Pascal Chadail and Jacques Guilbaud;
• Secretary General Bernard Stamm.
• Technical committee: President Pascal Chadail.
• Events Committee: President Jean Le Cam.
• Executive Committee Yann Eliès and Alex Thomson.
• Treasurer Luc Talbourdet.

OffShore Challenges Adds Another Imoca 60 to the Fleet.

An interesting thing is happening in sailing. The concept of the team is being muddied by management companies running multiple boats with multiple sponsors akin to the way large NASCAR ‘Teams’ work.

Artemis Ocean Racing, sponsored by one of the UK’s leading investment management companies, has appointed Offshore Challenges to oversee the management of their existing IMOCA 60 sailing team and campaign. Artemis Ocean Racing will compete in various events this year including the Artemis Challenge at Cowes Week, the Fastnet race, and the double handed Transat Jacques Vabre, that starts in November.

Offshore Challenges is part of OC Group which includes another IMOCA 60 campaign – BT Team Ellen. As a result, the company has a world class reputation for ocean racing campaigns. OC Events, the events arm of OC Group have worked together with Artemis before, during The Artemis Transat 2008 and share joint values of professionalism and integrity, as well as seeking to support British industry and endeavour.

Artemis Investment Management’s CEO Mark Tyndall commented:

“Entering a highly competitive, top level sporting arena for the first time is always a challenge and the team have learnt a great deal from the last three years. We have an undiminished commitment to strive for success in the future and we believe that a partnership with Offshore Challenges will be a great way to leverage what has been started. We are greatly looking forward to building on this experience with Offshore Challenges and look forward to the year ahead.”

It is believed that Vendée Globe skipper Jonny Malbon, will continue to be involved with the team.

The concept of a single company running two competing entries with separate branding is quite new in sailing, though it does happen in other sports. The most high-profile is NASCAR where a company like Hendrick Motorsport runs champions Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr side by side – one sponsored by Lowes, one by DuPont and one by Amp energy drinks.

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