Sailing A Force for Good. Team Pindar Launch Sail Bahrain.

Yesterday, I watched a very interesting panel discussion featuring Stephen Fry and Twitter founder Biz Stone about whether social media was a force for good. It reminded me that not all sailing is about money and power and that the sport has the ability to change people’s lives.

As the bickering billionaires edged closer towards actually sailing an America’s Cup race, Andrew Pindar OBE and Team Pindar were launching the first phase of the Sail Bahrain project at Amwaj Marina.

Just as the Oman Sail project aims to use sailing as a nation building exercise, the main objectives of Sail Bahrain are to work with the BMSA on developing a best-in-class sailing and water sports academy; bring major international sailing and water sports events to Bahrain on a regular basis and create training and educational programmes targeted at young people from across society. Sail Bahrain aims to work with schools, polytechnics and universities to ensure that the right courses and teachers are in place and qualifications gained.

Andrew Pindar along with HE Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa, Chairman of the General Organisation of Sea Ports, officially welcomed the arrival of the two spectacular 60 foot Volvo ocean-racing yachts with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Operated by Team Pindar and offering unique sailing experiences, in Bahrain and throughout the Gulf, both Volvo 60s are available for training, corporate hospitality, team-building and yacht charter initiatives.

HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board commented:

“We are delighted to welcome the launch of Sail Bahrain and two of its magnificent 60 foot yachts to our Amwaj Marina. Bahrain’s 5000 year history and culture has always been closely linked to the sea and that tradition is very much alive today with the new Khalifa bin Salman Port and the growth of our maritime tourism infrastructure.

“Sail Bahrain will create a training school for young Bahrainis to help develop our sailing champions of the future, be it Olympians or round-the-world adventurers. Initiatives like Sail Bahrain nurture sporting heroes for the future and so create role models who can inspire every Bahraini to be proud of our nation’s achievements. We wish Sail Bahrain every success in becoming a world-class centre of excellence, enhancing the Kingdom’s ability to host world class sailing events, building on the success of Andrew Pindar and his team and of course Bahrain’s own sailing Olympian Sami Kooheji. Good luck everyone.”

The brainchild of Andrew Pindar, the Sail Bahrain project has been in development for well over a year and with the arrival of the highly visible and exciting Volvo 60’s the project is now a reality. Based in Amwaj Marina at Amwaj Islands, the boats are a platform for the Sail Bahrain project whilst offering bespoke marketing opportunities at key locations throughout the Gulf.

Chairman of the Pindar Group and founder of Sail Bahrain, Andrew Pindar OBE DL said:

“We are delighted to launch Sail Bahrain and welcome the arrival of the Volvo 60’s as the first stage in the Sail Bahrain project. The Kingdom of Bahrain has a rich maritime history and is a great country which is blessed with perfect sailing conditions. Sail Bahrain aims to create a new and exciting future for sailing and water sports in the Kingdom which will create many jobs and opportunities for the people of Bahrain. Having the Volvo 60’s here is the first step, with future plans including an intention to develop an iconic yacht club along with a youth education programme giving Bahrainis the chance to compete on the global sailing stage.”

Captain Peter Gronberg, Managing Director, GAC Bahrain stated:

“We are very proud to be involved and associated with the Sail Bahrain initiative. As the first phase of Sail Bahrain the two Volvo 60 racing yachts give locals and visitors alike a unique opportunity to get a taste of the very best of ocean racing. The Sail Bahrain project is extremely exciting and offers so much more than bringing these spectacular boats in the Kingdom. Here at GAC we are delighted to be involved in this exciting project which offers sailing and education as well as the chance for Bahrainis to engage from beginner level through to developing world championship sailing skills.”

The dynamic experience of being part of the Team Pindar crew and sailing on one of these incredible boats is available to individuals and corporate companies alike. Team Pindar Director, Nick Crabtree explains:

“What we’re offering in the first phase of Sail Bahrain is tailor made experiences that are not available anywhere else in the Gulf. The opportunity to helm and sail on the Formula 1 of offshore sailing vessels will truly be the experience of a lifetime. We have a full professional crew with exceptional international sailing experience and thousands of ocean miles under their belts. At Team Pindar we pride ourselves on operating at the very pinnacle of the sport whether that is in competing at the highest levels or through our bespoke sailing services. Sailing on one of our yachts whether it is with your colleagues, friends or as part of our crew, we guarantee you a memorable voyage.”

Open 60 Shuffle. Hugo Boss Racing Buys Pindar. Pindar Moves East.

In case your communications people haven’t told you yet, Twitter is emerging as the source for breaking news in sport. Some of it is rumour, some of it is pure misdirection, but some of it is genuine news that is faster than any other media. Yesterday, news that Hugo Boss Racing had bought the Open 60 Pindar, hit Twitter before most other places. It wasn’t on Alex Thomson’s own feed – that hasn’t been updated since the 29th of August, but increasingly, media and bloggers are beating the traditional media to the punch.

There are two stories here. One is the purchase of the boat by Hugo Boss Racing, and the second is Pindar’s change of direction – away from the Open 60 to concentrate on a ‘new project’ in the Middle East.

Hugo Boss Racing Buys the Open 60 – Pindar.

The Pindar IMOCA 60, which conforms to the new IMOCA regulations, is one of the most powerful in the IMOCA fleet. Alex Thomson said:

“I believe that power equals speed, and so it makes sense to buy the most powerful boat in the fleet. I believe that it will really suit my sailing style and that the true potential for this boat has yet to be achieved. I think I can push the boat to the limits that it was designed for. I am very excited to start sailing on her, and see what she and I are capable of over the next three years. The Barcelona World Race will be out first major race together and I will be hoping to go one better than last time!”

OC Group CEO, Mark Turner, who runs the Open60 programs for BT and Artemis said – via Twitter….

RT @PYL: Alex Thomson vend Hugo Boss et rachète Pindar http://tinyurl.com/nz7hwe. Alex needs more power? ***

The sale is perhaps not surprising, given the relationships involved. Sir Keith Mills has been a long time backer of Alex Thomson Racing and Mike Sanderson and Juan K (both key members of Mill’s TeamOrigin) were involved in designing the Pindar boat.

As a result of the purchase of Pindar, Alex Thomson Racing will sell it’s current IMOCA 60 Hugo Boss (built in 2007).

Pindar Focusses on the Middle East.

Following on from Pindar’s relationship with the Kingdom of Bahrain, Team Pindar will now focus on a new sailing programme and in the next few weeks will ship two Volvo 60’s out to the Middle East, to embark on a corporate hospitality, team-building and boat charter initiative. Based in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the boats will provide a platform for bespoke marketing opportunities at key locations throughout the Gulf and will be managed by Team Director, Nick Crabtree, who has developed extensive contacts in the region.

Chairman of the Pindar Group, Andrew Pindar OBE commented:

‘It is with mixed feelings that we are selling the Open 60. It has been an amazing journey and we are sad to see her go, but equally delighted she is going to a skipper (Alex) and team who will maximise her true potential. The opportunities in The Middle East offer a new direction for Team Pindar and sit well alongside our activity with Ian Williams on the World Match Racing Tour.’

Team Pindar’s Team Director, Nick Crabtree commented:

‘With Ras al-Khaimah set to host the America’s Cup next year, there is a tremendous feeling of excitement and intrigue about sailing in the region. We witnessed firsthand, in Bahrain, the enthusiasm generated by following Brian Thompson’s epic journey in the Vendée Globe and we are delighted about having a physical presence, which will enable us to develop unique sailing experiences throughout the Gulf.’

You can follow the YachtSposnsorship Twitter feed even if you are not signed up to Twitter.

• YachtSponsorship.com on Twitter.
• Yachtsponsorship.com Twitter stream as an RSS Feed.
• Yachtsponsorship.com Twitter stream daily digests.

*** Twitter jargon translation. RT = Retweet, meaning that the post was originally made by PYL (who in this case is Pierre-Yves Lautrou. Putting @ in front of a name makes it linkable in Twitter. Twitter for Business Tips brought to you by Pilote Sport

Two More Open 60’s Go Up for Sale.

Many sailing events run on long cycles with 2 or 4 years between races. The time between races, gives teams time to evaluate their commitment and plan for the future. Sponsors and sailors will analyse the options, opportunities will be created and chapters will be closed.

Since the end of the most recent Vendee Globe, the huge expense of Open 60 programs has started to bite. Even though they represent the pinnacle of offshore sailing, the backers of these campaigns are subject to the same sponsorship constraints as everyone else, and several have indicated that the sums might not add up.

So far, Ecover and Team Gitana have stepped away from Open 60 programs, focussing on the iShares Cup in 2009. Aviva, long time backers of Dee Caffari, seem to have switched to handing out wedges of cash to Hollywood stars rather than the double world record holder, backed up by a ‘tweet’ from Dee this week that said:

Sailing everyday for the rest of the week and I am very happy about that. It seems my sailing days are numbered.

Even long term sailing evangelist Andrew Pindar is taking a step back from the Open 60. Yesterday it was announced that the radical Juan Kouyoumdjian designed Open 60 yacht Team Pindar is up for sale.

Whilst the sale means a step away from the Open 60 class, the team continues to progress its ‘Sail Bahrain’ plans in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Andrew Pindar said:

“There is a definite interest and excitement in developing a comprehensive sailing programme in Bahrain. As an island nation, they are blessed with fantastic natural sailing conditions, however it’s not going to happen overnight. We have made extensive contacts in the region with people who share the ‘Sail Bahrain’ vision.”

Sam Davies, who provided sponsor Roxy with probably the best ROI of all competitors in the last Vendee Globe has signed on with Artemis Ocean Racing, who with the  OC Group’s backing are comitted to the class. As a result of Sam’s step up, her old boat is also up for sale.

The Open 60 is a fantastic platform for any sponsor, but as new build costs start pushing £10 million, there may be an opportunity for boats like the Class 40 to grab a bigger share of voice and sponsorship money.

As the cycle goes around and the next Vendee Globe approaches, no doubt the teams and sponsors will shake out to provide another compelling race and in the mean-time, the Artemis Challenge during Cowes Week will give buyers and sellers of these amazing boats a chance to see them in action.

New Director of Marketing and PR for AlphaGraphics

AlphaGraphics, title sponsor of US Sailing and sister company of Pindar, has announced several changes to the senior management team.

Sharon Cook will become director of marketing and public relations, and Eli Sackett e-commerce consultant. The company is also announcing the promotions of Art Coley to vice president of global development and Suzette Bergin-Blakemore as business development director.

CEO Kevin Cushing:

“One of the keys to maintaining our leadership position in the industry is to continually enrich the senior management team. We are confident that Sharon, Art, Suzette and Eli are going to make significant contributions to the AlphaGraphics brand.”

More About AlphaGraphics

Ed Baird and Alinghi Join World Match Racing Tour 2009

The World Match Racing Tour will feature another America’s Cup skipper in 2009. Ed Baird will head a four-man Alinghi crew in the world championship. Alinghi will race against proven match racers like Ian Williamson and rising stars like Torvar Mirsky.

Alinghi, Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup, has entered the 2009 World Match Racing Tour in preparation for the next America’s Cup. Brad Butterworth, Alinghi team skipper, comments:

“These are the sort of regattas we enjoy doing; with multi-national teams and we are really looking forward to measuring ourselves against some of the best match racers in the world, particularly as some of them are entered challengers for the 33rd America’s Cup.”

Ed Baird (USA), helmsman, will lead the four-man Alinghi crew of Pieter van Nieuwenhuijzen (NED), Lorenzo Mazza (ITA) and Warwick Fleury (NZL) at up to 10 match racing events around the world, starting with the Marseille
International Match Race on 10 March and culminating with the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia in December.

Baird, a three-time Match Racing World Champion said:

“The World Match Racing Tour puts a premium on teamwork and mastering ever-changing conditions. We’ll get a lot of different opportunities to race all the top match racers, which will ultimately be great for our Cup preparations,” said three-time Match Racing World Champion. I haven’t been a regular on the Tour since 2005, but it will be great to get back into the action and to remind myself and the team what it takes to win short, tough races against all the top guys.”

The top guys, most of whom have America’s Cup affiliations, include

• Ian Williams (GBR) Bahrain Team Pindar – 2 x defending ISAF Match Racing World Champion.
• Sébastien Col (FRA) French Team/K-Challenge – America’s Cup helmsman and ISAF ranked number one match racer
• Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Team/Team French Spirit
• Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Shosholoza
• Adam Minoprio (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand/Black Match Racing
• Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team

“Getting back on the Tour will keep us up to date with the latest thinking on rules, tactics and strategies,” said Ed Baird. “We’ll also have the chance to keep communicating with the race teams from the many syndicates that are part of the next America’s Cup,” he concluded.

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