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.

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.

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

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.

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.

The Open 60 ‘Draft’ is underway with personnel changing teams as the last competitors finish the Vendee Globe. Harry McGougan, who has worked alongside Alex Thomson for the past two editions of the Vendee Globe has announced that he will switch to Mike Golding’s Ecover team.

“It is a bit like football, and you transfer between teams at the end of a Vendee Globe cycle. Mike is the ‘godfather’ of the Open 60 class and I have a lot of respect for what he has done and what he has achieved. It will be a very good opportunity for me in terms of learning more about the boats and it remains one of my biggest goals to work on a successful Vendee Globe Project. As shore crew, it is the biggest preparation job around.”

Harry has spent the past eight years managing teams of people across various projects including the Swan 56, Noonmark VI and Magical. Before that he worked on super yachts and ran a specialist lighting company for outdoor events.

“ECOVER 3 is now at Endeavour Quays in Gosport where she will go into the shed for a minor refit and to repair the damage from the dismasting. It is nothing dramatic, but we will do a few small modifications/improvements and give her a new paint job before we go back in the water,”

Harry will have a small team working with him including Tim Carrie (Preparatuer), Rob Dudden (Boat Builder) and Iain Henderson.

“Our aim is to do the most efficient job possible to get the boat up and sailing again. The replacement mast, which is currently stored at JMV in Cherbourg will arrive here in Gosport on the 5th March. This spare mast is brand new and untried therefore Southern Spars will do a formal handover and together with Blew Stoub our rigger, we will get everything up and running quite quickly”

“Meanwhile ECOVER 3′s carbon keel has just arrived at JMV, it is currently being surveyed as whilst in the event, it did not actually fail, there are cracks appearing on the keel head which need to be explored fully. It is not the carbon blade that is in question but rather how the head/rams are attached to that blade so we are waiting to get engineers, designers and builders to help us to decide upon the best course of action,” he concluded.

On completion of the work the yacht will be launched and fully sail tested to ensure that both rig, keel and modifications are all in order. Currently no decisions have been made about the sailing/racing program going forward.

A lot of news out of the team backed by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild yesterday, including the annoucement that Loïck Peyron, skipper of IMOCA 60, Gitana Eighty, will leave the team. The focus of the team will switch from monohulls to multihulls.

In a statement the team says that after over nine years on the offshore racing circuit, Baron Benjamin de Rothschild and the Group he presides over are still backing sailing by committing to a new circuit – the iShares Cup – and by starting on modifications to Gitana 11 alongside the members of Gitana Team:

‘In a banking world where the multinationals are thriving, our own establishment, whilst continuing to progress, has been keeping to its original philosophy and remains a human size enterprise. I wish for it to be the same within the Gitana Team. Sailing is a family passion, a story of love and conviction. My forefathers sailed on Lake Geneva, my father specialized in monohulls, and me in multihulls some years later.

These boats have always fascinated me. They are incredibly elegant and the gliding sensations you get from them are something else. However, beyond this enthusiasm, our commitment is based on a desire to pass things on and be innovative. As such, our arrival on a new circuit, the work initiated on one of our fleet’s flagships and the desire to provide a young talented sailor with the opportunity to flourish, all fall within the scope of this lineage.’

In 2009, the Gitana Team will participate in the European circuit of the iShares Cup.

Launched in 2007, this circuit has attracted a host of international teams, and the French have also shown an interest in the event. Indeed the Groupama team has already announced its participation this season and other compatriots may well imitate them. Racing with four crew, the Extreme 40 races are aimed at enabling the public to witness the nautical jousts close up by favouring race zones which are close to the shore and, where possible, at the very heart of the chosen towns.

The Extreme 40 circuit combines the clever mixture of sport and spectacle, which proved to be a tremendous success for the owner of Gitana Team during the multihull Grand Prix circuit.

Yann Guichard, a regular in the Gitana Team since 2004, is joining the stable’s ranks as a skipper-helm aboard the Extreme 40 Gitana. This young 34 year old sailor is just as much at ease racing around the cans, as a result of his Olympic career, as he is sailing offshore using his transatlantic experience. As such he will now have to show what he’s made of on this new medium, which is tailor-made for his talent. Indeed, it’s worth remembering that Yann Guichard is a grand specialist on these sports catamarans as his three Olympic preparations on the Tornado, as well as his fourth place in the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 bear witness.

Dee Caffari and her IMOCA 60, Aviva, completed a double world first at 13:13 (GMT) on 16 February 2009 by crossing the official finish line of the Vendée Globe yacht race. Caffari achieved her goal of becoming the first woman to sail solo, non-stop both ways around the world.

The British skipper has been sponsored by Aviva, the world’s fifth largest insurance group, for both sailing acheivements. The company has activated the sponsorship well to maximise return on investment.

Sarah Loughran, Head of Corporate Sponsorship at Aviva commented:

“Dee’s performance has been inspirational. She set her sights on the double world first and we’ve backed her all the way. Aviva and our employees in 27 markets across the world are very proud of her today. This race has been a testament to her determination, resolve and tenacity. We’re proud to be recognised as part of the team behind her great individual performance.”

Caffari said:

“This is just incredible! To see all these people here to watch me cross the line and make history is just awesome. The support and recognition has been unbelievable. I’m quite exhausted but I’ll be buzzing for the next few days. My goal was to set the double world first and Aviva and I have done it. It’s an amazing feeling to become the first woman to sail solo, non-stop both ways around the world. You just can’t buy an experience like this, it’s awesome!”

Michel Desjoyeaux has won the Vendee Globe. The IMOCA 60 FONCIA crossed the finish line on Sunday 1st February 2009 at 15h11’08” UT. FONCIA took 84 days, 03 hours, 09 minutes and 08 seconds to sail around the globe at an average speed of 12.30 knots.

The time beat the previous record set in 2004 (Vincent Riou on PRB of 87d 10h 47m) by 3 days 07 hours and 39 minutes, even with a deficit of 41 hours having had to turn back in the opening days of the race and restart.

Initial reactions from Michel Desjoyeaux after crossing the finish line:

“It’s incredible… In addition there was a small ray of sunshine as I crossed the finish line. It’s magical; it’s indescribable… It’s really phenomenal. I can’t really get my head round it… I don’t understand, I’m making the most of it and I’ll get my head round it afterwards…”

“The race is won 80% before the start: in the choices made by the team, in the organisation, in the serenity, in the experience, it’s a whole bunch of things… The remaining 20%: it’s the competition, the race…”

“Jules Verne said it took 80 days to circumnavigate the globe. Even with these boats, in 4 years time, it’ll easily be feasible… If you take away the 40 hour deficit and follow a less N’ly trajectory without ice, it’s feasible…”

This year’s Vendee Globe has been a Darwinian battle of attrition. Of the 30 boats that started, 18 have been forced to retire. Mike Golding, who lost his mast on Ecover 3 says “Engineers have a lot of questions to answer, and the designers.”

Just a few days before his race ended, Golding was concerned about the keelhead failure that had caused the Swiss skipper Dominique Wavre to abandon. Golding’s keel design was exactly the same and he had noticed cracking around the casing three weeks earlier. With the final ice gate approaching before the plunge deeper into the Southern Ocean, Golding tried to gain reassurance from the engineers.

“Both Dominique and I had specified separately that we wanted a keel to get us round the Vendee Globe. We said, ‘Don’t risk anything, don’t minimise it, make it last’, but it failed and no-one wants to be responsible. I was furious about Dominique’s keel failure.” 

In a statement last week, IMOCA said:

It goes without saying that IMOCA is not happy about the percentage of abandonments. But it is worth remembering that most of the past editions of the race have seen 40-50% not finishing. The Vendée Globe is a race without outside assistance, which intrinsically means it is a race of elimination – it will obviously be necessary to follow this race with a thorough assessment on how to strengthen the boats in the interest of the owners, sponsors and above-all the sailors. Through their association with the Class, sailors have worked on improving their monohulls, particularly in terms of stability, hulls and safety.

Sébastien Josse was interviewed after he was swept over by a gigantic wave  If I’d had a ’96 Vendée Globe boat, the wave would have completely capsized me and I wouldn’t have self-righted. Another factor is the progress made in terms of safety, weather reading, and adapting to the iceberg zones with an increased number of icegates.

Fully aware of the difficulties involved in around the world races, especially single-handed ones, IMOCA has been working since the beginning of 2008 on an evolution of the rules alongside the majority of the skippers, with the aim of simplifying and limiting the power of the boats. The solutions are not obvious and the knowledge drawn from this edition of the Vendée Globe will contribute largely to any future decisions.

When asked about it by the race organisers before the race start, IMOCA stated: We have to be careful: the temptation to change is great during a moment of euphoria, but we have to remember what helped the Class grow in the first place. The Vendée Globe dictates the rhythm of the IMOCA Championship, without doubt it creates great champions and great sailors, but with it, it teaches us so much, and we will learn from everything it teaches us; it’s the big sailing adventures that remain the real judicators.

It is too early now to make a full assessment. We will have to wait for all the sailors to return to hear about all their exploits and performances – and we will then examine the cause of all the differing kinds of damage and abandonments as well as looking at the role the weather has played in the race – the weather in this edition has been much harder than the last two and is similar to the 1996/97 race. For the time being we hope that the Southern Ocean does not claim any more casualties and that the race continues to be just as fascinating and intense right up until the very end.