Henri Lloyd Sign as Official Clothing Partner for J P Morgan Round The Island Race.

The Island Sailing Club, organisers of the J P Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, have announced that Henri Lloyd will be the race’s official clothing partner for the next two editions.

Henri Lloyd have a long time association with Ben Ainslie who is also sponsored by the race’s title sponsor.

The new deal will include merchandise for the Race and the provision of sailing kit for for race officials, the management team and volunteers. Competitors will also be able to obtain clothing with the special 80th anniversary logo.

Island Sailing Club Secretary, Lea Bennett, said at the London Boat Show:

“This is a really exciting piece of news for everyone involved in the Race, especially as we celebrate our 80th Anniversary year in 2011. Having a clothing partner join us as Race Partner is a first for us and we’re absolutely delighted to welcome Henri Lloyd to the fold.”

In response, Paul Strzelecki, joint Managing Director of Henri Lloyd, said:

“I am delighted to announce our support of the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race by becoming their Official Clothing Partner. We are proud to have the Henri Lloyd brand associated with one of the largest and most popular yacht races in the world and look forward to working with the Island Sailing Club over the next two years to ensure the event goes from strength to strength.

Henri Lloyd partners with British Youth sailing squad.

The RYA will also benefit from the support of Henri Lloyd in the form of a new clothing deal for Junior and Youth sailing squads.

The partnership, launched at the London Boat Show on Friday, will see Henri Lloyd exclusively supply clothing to the RYA Junior and Youth squads as well as RYA supported International Teams attending major International regattas around the World.

RYA Youth Racing Manager Duncan Truswell said:

“We are delighted to start what we hope will be a long and strengthening relationship with Henri Lloyd. They were closely associated with the RYA Youth Squads in the mid-late 90’s and I have very fond memories of wearing my Henri-Lloyd Laser National Youth Squad jacket with pride. I hope that the Youth sailors of today will feel the same about wearing Henri Lloyd gear when they are representing RYA Team GBR either domestically or abroad, they [Henri Lloyd] have a great product range for an array of Technical functions which we hope will enable our sailors to be more comfortable afloat and ashore, and thereby enable them to perform better.”

Paul Strzelecki, Henri Lloyd’s joint Managing Director, joined Truswell and RYA Racing Manager John Derbyshire during a press reception on Henri Lloyd’s stand where he spoke of the organisation’s delight in forming the new relationship.   He said:

“We are pleased to once again support the RYA Youth and Junior Programme.  We hope that the emerging UK sailing talent can benefit from our innovative performance clothing. We are extremely proud to add this sponsorship to our existing support for the very successful RYA OnBoard programme which we have done since its inception. We look forward to a long and fruitful association.”

More Sailing Apparel News…

One of the themes that comes out time and time again in the sport of sailing is the lack of identifiable career progressions and event hierachies. The world governing body, ISAF does a good job of looking after the Olympic classes, but development of sailing talent for things like offshore racing or ‘big boat’ sailing is less structured. (Well, we say that, but actually, in places like France there is a quite well understood progression… )

Unlike many other sports, sailors are able to be competitive at an age where most other athletes have retired and taken up commentary positions. The Volvo Ocean Race has had to mandate that in the next race three crew must be below the age of 30, which might sound like a ‘youth friendly’ position, but not many brand managers would consider 30 being youth.

So how does the sport develop young talent who are not on the Olympic path? The RYA and UKSA’s British Keelboat Academy is an interesting concept. Launched at the end of last year, the programme aims to create the next generation of UK competitors for the Volvo Ocean Race, America’s Cup, Audi Med Cup etc. The program has developed out of a previous program that have developed an alumni of UK sailors who are now successful at the top level of the sport.

It’s an interesting idea, but the programme is dependent on commercial sponsorship and the goodwill of private benefactors for funding. The Academy is getting great support from the Alumni and many other parties, but there is no certainty for the program after this trial year without additional external funding.

There are some large structural issues that make developing a program like this difficult. Sailing is becoming less and less nationalistic, therefore there is not the same value to the country in developing a UK sailor who might then go on to sail on a ‘Spanish’ team in the Volvo Ocean Race as there is developing a Rugby or Cricket star who goes on to represent the national side. We were going to use the example of British F1 drivers having a positive effect on the country’s national psyche, but Hamilton and Button in recent years were driving for UK based teams (albeit with German and Japanese engines).

If the long term goals of programmes like the Keelboat Academy is to produce enough elite sailors to create UK teams, then the backers of those UK teams must buy into the concept now. Up until now, teams have not had the longevity of football clubs or motor-racing teams. Traditionally, sailing teams have come together for a single event and then disbanded.

With the creation of super-teams like Emirates Team New-Zealand, Alinghi and TeamOrigin perhaps there is scope to create development squads or ‘B Teams’ to create long term stability and continuity. The development of talent for the future would give sponsors more confidence in the long term success of a team and help the sport in general.

With TeamOrigin scheduled to compete in the Audi Med Cup, World Match Racing Tour and Louis Vuitton Trophy, they have the most to gain from a pool of world class UK talent.

We’ll be watching the Keelboat Academy to see how it gets on in 2010.

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is looking for a title sponsor to head up the four sailing regatta weeks which will make up one of sailings largest international events; the Laser World Championships to be held in Britain in 2010.

The event, set to attract over 1200 world class competitors from around the globe, will be held at two separate venues.

The Scottish Sailing Institute at Largs Sailing Club will welcome more than 500 sailors, including aspiring 2012 hopefuls for the Laser Radial Women’s and Men’s World Championships from 7-14 July 2010, with the Laser Radial Youth Worlds to follow from 18-25 July.

Meanwhile, Hayling Island Sailing Club will see in the region of 300 budding Olympic Champions contest the Laser (Standard) Senior and Junior World Championships from 27 August-5 September 2010, with the Laser Masters Worlds from 11-19 September welcoming around 400 sailors in four age categories from 35 years and upwards.

RYA Competitions Manager David Campbell-James commented: “This opportunity provides a fantastic platform for association with a hugely popular international sailing event.

“We look forward to working with a sponsor who shares the RYA’s passion for increasing national interest in sailing and showcasing Britain as a World Class sporting venue.”

The sponsorship opportunity will provide exposure to the world’s largest class in sailing as well as branding rights and association with a highly regarded World Class event.

4/5 sailing websites say “The future looks bright for Britain’s up and coming young keelboat sailors”. The latest press release about UKSA and the RYA announcing a new ‘British Keelboat Academy’ opens with the line that has been repeated verbatim by content hungy sailing media.

But ‘cut and paste’ journalism aside, it’s good news for young UK sailors. The RYA Keelboat Program has relied heavily on philanthropic support and corporate charters to fund the development of this area of the sport and the new announcement should add welcome stability. There is a tendency around the world to focus development money into Olympic classes and dinghies, so its great to see the UK investing some money into developing ‘big-boat’ talent.

The new programme combines the former RYA Keelboat programme and UKSA’s GBR Yacht Racing Academy giving those involved access to the expertise and facilities of both organisations. Run to RYA standards and delivered by UKSA’s head coach, Luke McCarthy, the British Keelboat Academy will offer 50 individuals aged 18-24  a one to two year mixed programme covering all aspects of training, racing, boat work, and electronics.

Ben Willows, Director of Operations at UKSA, said:

“We are delighted to be joining forces with the RYA to create the British Keelboat Academy. Both organisations are passionate about giving young sailors the opportunity to get out on the water. We hope to inspire and support even more young people and widen access to top level racing for those already involved in the sport and also for those that wouldn’t normally have the opportunity.”

RYA Racing Manager, John Derbyshire commented:

“Providing a constant stream of talented sailors into keelboat campaigns remains a key priority for this programme. We’re really pleased to be moving this into a new era and working with UKSA on this joint approach is exciting. The mix of expertise and resources UKSA and RYA are bringing to the Academy programme will create an invaluable and world leading training resource which will continue to produce top class keelboat sailors. We plan to develop and extend the network of sponsors and partners, many of whom have supported us throughout this year, as we seek to add more value to the programme.

The RYA and UKSA will continue to run the TP52 John Merricks II, provided by the John Merricks Sailing Trust for selected campaigns in 2010, and its ‘Crewsearch’ scheme which matches sailors with skippers and boat owners looking for young talent for their keelboat campaigns.

The RYA have announced that it has appointed Sarah Treseder as its new Chief Executive to replace Rod Carr OBE.

Richard Langford, RYA Chairman said of her appointment:

“Finding someone to fill Rod’s shoes was obviously quite a challenge for us. However, Sarah’s excellent management experience and leadership skills combined with her own personal recreational boating will be a true asset to the RYA, its members and the boating community as a whole.Her appointment, I believe, will bring an exciting new dimension to the RYA and to the marine leisure sector”.

Sarah will take up the post in February 2010, when she will work alongside the current CEO, Rod Carr OBE, for a month before his retirement in March.

Sarah Treseder:

“To be Chief Executive of the RYA is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, and I will devote all my passion, dedication and experience to making a success of the role.

“I have been involved in cruising and racing boats all my life, and I believe that my varied experience in business and on the water will help me to connect with the sport at all levels; from grassroots programmes to the higher echelons of the racing community.

“I am very much looking forward to joining the team at the RYA next year and to working alongside Rod for the month. He has made an enormous contribution to boating in the UK and will be a hard act to follow”.

Sarah joins the RYA from The Admirable Crichton, a private luxury events company, and has extensive management experience combined with a broad sailing experience from cruising in the south west of England, France, the Channel Islands and further afield to racing in dinghies, yachts and keelboats. Currently, Sarah joint owns a Sigma 33 which she sails on the south coast.

Sailing is positioned by many sponsorship seekers as an environmentally friendly sport. This is certainly true when compared to something like offshore powerboat racing or Formula 1, but in reality, despite being powered by the wind, sailing can always improve its sustainability credentials. At a Grand Prix level,  professional teams fly around the world to events and the manufacture of new age materials can produce some pretty environmentally unfriendly waste.

The Green Blue is  a great concept, backed by the British Marine Federation and the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). The organisation’s 2009 conference will feature Sir Keith Mills, Deputy Chair of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games 2012, and Principle of Team Origin as the keynote speaker.

The focus for the day will be ‘Success and Sustainability for the UK Recreational Marine Sector – Using sustainability to drive performance and cut costs’ and Sir Keith will open proceedings with his insights into sustainability for London 2012 and for the future of the marine sector.

The event programme is aimed at recreational marine businesses and includes thought provoking presentations from leading environmental solutions providers, case studies from companies with success stories to share, and interactive workshops on resource efficiencies to be gained in water, waste and energy.

This year’s event, sponsored by The Crown Estate, will be held at one of London’s most sustainable conference venues, the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre, on Wednesday 4 November

Rod Carr, will retire from the RYA in March 2010, after 10 years as the CEO of the organisation. Carr was highly involved in Britain’s recent Olympic sailing success, having been at the RYA for 25 years.

Speaking to Kate Laven in The Daily Telegraph, Carr said there was little more to do in his current post.

“I have been CEO for 10 years so retiring now is just about the right time,”

“I haven’t finished yet at the RYA. There is still another 11 months of hard work ahead and I will carry on until the end.”

The Telegraph article goes on to say:

In 2005, he received an OBE for his services to sailing.It was as RYA racing manager and performance director in 1997 that Carr started to change the face of British sailing by quickly grasping the new funding strategies made available by the National Lottery three years earlier.

His understanding of how athletes could tap into the labyrinth of funding plans by meeting competition targets guaranteed a major hike in financial support allowing the RYA to invest in coaching, training and the development of their elite sailors.

Volvo Car UK will extend their support for Youth and Junior racing sailing in the UK.

As title sponsors of the newly-branded RYA Volvo Youth Squad, Volvo will be supporting the cream of Britain’s top under-19 racing talent in the six RYA Youth classes; Laser Standard, Laser Radial, 29er, 420, Hobie 16 and RS:X windsurfers and, with 10 of those Youth Squad sailors set to fly the flag for Britain at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships in Buzios, Brazil this July, they will now compete under the banner of RYA Volvo Team GBR.

Volvo is also contributing to event sponsorship with Youth sailing’s flagship annual event, the newly-titled RYA Volvo Youth National Championships and Trials and all nine of the RYA Volvo Zone and Home Country Championships.

RYA Performance Director John Derbyshire said:

“The long running support of Volvo Car UK makes a significant difference to our sport and extending this support into the Youth programme will provide a great boost to so many of our sailors. “We are thrilled that Volvo is keen to support the sport in this comprehensive manner and look forward to continue working closely with them to maximise the benefits for both organisations and the long-term good of sailing in Great Britain.”

Lesley Milne, Head of Events and Sponsorship, Volvo Car UK, said:

“Volvo is pleased to be continuing their strong association and support of British Sailing and the RYA. “The sponsorship portfolio has been developed to provide a pathway from the grassroots right through to the pinnacle of the sport. Volvo is proud to support some of Britain’s top sailors through Team Volvo for life and support Volvo’s global sailing property, the Volvo Ocean Race. We plan to keep Volvo as the number one choice of car for the UK sailing community.”

Datchet Water Sailing Club has been recognised by the Volvo Eco Challenge with their highest value award for an environmental project which included switching to push button taps and shower fittings in the club house. The initiative is a nice example of a sponsor taking their commitment to a sport all the way down from professionals to the grass-roots. In this case, activating at a local dealer level, makes the most of Volvo’s distribution network so everybody gets a return – including the environment.

The Volvo Eco Challenge was set up to provide grants of up to £1,000 to Volvo RYA Champion Club’s for a project carried out by young people aged between 10 -16 who undertake an environmental initiative at their club.

A group of local young sailors took on the challenge of making their club more Eco friendly and designed a project to help prevent water wastage. Their plan was judged by a panel of experts, including the scheme’s ambassador, Chris Packham, television presenter, wildlife photographer and author.

Packham said “The Volvo Eco Challenge has encouraged young members of Volvo RYA Champion Clubs to get actively involved in environmental projects. I am always keen to work where there is both enthusiasm and a need to help overcome an environmental issue.”

Tom Gradon, the Commodore of Datchet Water Sailing Club said “It has been great to have the youth involved in applying for a grant and helping to move the club forward, this grant shows the juniors of the club how small changes can make a big difference to the club and the environment.”

Steve Stone, Sales Manager, Squire Furneaux Slough said “With the Volvo Eco Challenge, Volvo hopes to help a new generation who are ready to think creatively to reduce environmental impact in their local sailing community, something Volvo strives to do continually.”

Volvo Car UK is delighted with the number and diversity of the entries received and realise the importance of working together within their sports sponsorship areas to develop and encourage new environmental programmes.

Other Sailing Clubs around the UK will be presented with their awards during February. Volvo are now inviting more Sailing Clubs to create new environmental projects for the 2009 Volvo Eco Challenge.

The UK’s RYA will build a multi-purpose facility in Portland planned to be the hub of performance sailing in the lead up to and during the 2012 Olympic Games and an investment in the long-term future of the sport.

‘RYA Portland House’ will provide purpose built accommodation and conference facilities for the RYA in one of the primary training and event locations in the UK.

The organisation says it will also provide a distinct competitive advantage for the British sailors in both the run up to and during the 2012 Olympic Games, as John Derbyshire, RYA Performance Director explained: “Previous Games successes have shown that having a bespoke base has been a significant factor in team morale and performance and for those involved in the Olympic programme it is strongly believed that having a secure base is one of the cornerstones of medal results success.”

Despite more immediate use being earmarked for 2012 Olympic preparations, it’s not only the elite sailors that will benefit from this new facility. Class associations, RYA personal members, members of affiliated clubs, as well as berth holder associations and Sailability will all have access to the facility for events, meetings, conferences; training, and competition activities.

“We see this venture as a great opportunity for the RYA to be instrumental in providing a performance advantage for our potential Olympic sailors on home ground in 2012, and to provide excellent facilities that will offer a lasting legacy for sailing in the UK,” concluded RYA Chief Executive Rod Carr.

Work on RYA Portland House is anticipated to be completed by September 2009.

www.rya.org.uk