The partnership, which will be described as ‘TEAMORIGIN racing with Jaguar’ comes under the umbrella of the Jaguar Academy of Sport, which aims to recognise, celebrate and inspire the very best of British sporting talent and success.

The deal helps Jaguar strengthen its environmental credentials, not only through the associations of a wind-powered sport, but also through signing up to TEAMORIGIN’s ‘Race for Change’ which compels partners of the team to adhere to strict environmental goals monitored by the Carbon Trust.

Sir Keith Mills, Team Principal, TEAMORIGIN, commented:

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Jaguar as our partner. There is a superb fit and alignment of purpose between TEAMORIGIN and Jaguar. Jaguar is clearly one of the most revered and iconic British brands and, just as Jaguar is now taking on and beating the best in the automotive world, so our mission is to take on and beat the best in the world on the water. The fit is further enhanced through our shared commitment to improve our environmental performance.”

Geoff Cousins, Managing Director, Jaguar UK commented:

“To partner with TEAMORIGIN is a fantastic opportunity for Jaguar. We are looking forward to the first appearance this summer at the 1851 Cup event, an exciting competition, which will see Britain’s best sailing talent compete against the current holders of The America’s Cup. It’s a mouth-watering prospect and one we are proud to support. This is a serious British endeavour, which fits perfectly with the recently launched Jaguar Academy of Sport, which is all about investing in the future of British Sporting talent.”

TEAMORIGIN’s newly branded livery will appear during Cowes Week and will feature striking Jaguar branding on both the hull and sails. The spinnaker will feature a Jaguar leaper in Union Jack Motif, the symbol of the Jaguar Academy of Sport.

Ben Ainslie, Skipper and Helmsman of TEAMORIGIN,commented:

“TEAMORIGIN’s goal is to win the America’s Cup for Great Britain, to achieve this we need to engage the support of like minded partners. In Jaguar, we can see great synergies where they share our passion for sport and competition at the highest level.”

More Automotive Sailing Sponsorship News…

Garry Lock, Managing Director Harken Australia said:

‘It is Harken’s commitment to assist the talents of up and coming sailors that led to the association with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Youth Sailing Academy. Harken, globally has a long tradition in encouraging and assisting further development of youth sailing, the future masters of the sport. On the local front, many promising young sailors have gone onto further their sailing careers after training at the CYCA YSA. We are pleased to continue our relationship with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia for a further two years.’

CYCA Commodore Garry Linacre said:

‘It is wonderful to have the support of a great sailing orientated company like Harken. This company was built by sailors, is managed by sailors and it is just wonderful to see Harken supporting young sailors in this way. Harken’s support in providing our Youth Sailing Academy equipment to world class standards is greatly appreciated. To Garry Lock and his team, we thank you for your past involvement and continuing commitment. Your efforts are appreciated and we look forward to your presence around the club to witness the product of your support.’

Harken Australia also sponsors the Harken Women’s International Match Racing Regatta, conducted annually by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

More Australian Sailing Business News…

Rolex has been the naming rights sponsor of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race since 2002.

Outgoing Commodore Matt Allen said:

“As one of my final duties as Commodore of this great club I am pleased to announce that Rolex will continue to sponsor one of the greatest ocean races in the world – the Rolex Sydney Hobart, for a further five years. Their commitment to the sport and to the Rolex Sydney Hobart greatly assists the international reputation of the race. From the time of Rolex’s involvement we have seen an increasing level of international interest combined with a strong Australian fleet from the smallest yachts at just over 30ft to the larger maxis at 100ft.”

“The CYCA has had a close collaboration with Rolex since it first entered into the sponsorship of the blue water classic. Their association with us has greatly enhanced the Rolex Sydney Hobart and lead up Rolex Trophy Series for the competitors and the interested followers of these events. The CYCA is delighted to make this announcement and thanks Rolex for its ongoing involvement and support.”

Seven Network to be exclusive TV broadcaster through 2015.

The CYCA have also granted an extension of the exclusive rights to broadcast the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race from 2011 to 2015 to Seven Network.  The new agreement takes effective from the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and will continue up until the end of the 2015 race.

The Seven Network will produce and broadcast nationally a 90 minute live program of the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race, with commentary provided by CYCA member Gordon Bray, who has hosted the last three start broadcast programs. The broadcast will be supervised by Saul Shtein, Seven Network’s Head of Sport, and a former competitive sailor. Having managed the live broadcasts for the last five years Shtein knows the intricacies and technical challenges of covering yacht races and has a great idea of what the public wants.

Further, the CYCA has granted the Seven Network, through its online affiliate Yahoo!7, the exclusive worldwide internet/online rights to webstream the live 90 minute broadcast of the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2010 and the regular in race updates.

More Rolex Sailing News…

Steve White has announced his intention to break the current world record for circumnavigating single-handed, non-stop the ‘wrong way’, against the prevailing winds and currents. Steve plans to buy and sail a Volvo Open 70, which would usually be crewed by ten people.

Steve says:

‘After the amazing experience of the 2008 Vendée Globe, it seemed like the right time to focus my attention on this record that I have been thinking about for a long time, and which fits in nicely before the next Vendée Globe in 2012. The record is acknowledged as probably the hardest and certainly the most gruelling record in sailing, and I am under no illusions about the enormity of the task in hand, both of sailing upwind and against the current in the Southern Ocean, and about the power and size of the boat we have chosen. Jean-Luc Van Den Heede is a legend and his record will be tough to beat, but I think it is achievable’

Taking place this winter, the attempt would mark the 40th anniversary of the original record set by Sir Chay Blyth (CBE BEM) on ‘British Steel’, who embarked on the epic journey described by The Times in 1970 as the ‘Impossible Voyage’. The current record for completing the 22,000 mile course is 122 days, 14 hours and 4 minutes, and is held by Frenchman Jean Luc Van Den Heede.

Sir Chay Blyth CBE, BEM commented:

‘It’s wonderful that Steve is planning to attempt what many regard as the ultimate sailing challenge. Hundreds have completed the voyage following the classic Eastabout route but doing this in reverse is a quantum leap removed, which is why only 5 people including Mike Golding and Dee Caffari have tried it. It takes a special character to tackle the trip and Steve is an extremely experienced yachtsman who I believe has the right skills, tenacity and determination to set a new World record.’ When asked if he would be tempted back to re-trace his footsteps Chay said, ‘Not a hope in hell.’

Steve is quoted as looking for a budget for buying the boat, preparing it, support and sponsor activation of £1.4 million. It’s a big bet to take on success of the endeavour and will be tough to find before the weather window of October or November.

Steve added:

‘I have long pondered this record since reading both Chay’s and Mike Golding’s books on their respective attempts. With a very successful Vendée Globe behind me, and a team with a wealth of experience now in place, I am confident I can do this record justice. I really am more excited about this than I have been about anything else, and I am very much looking forward to crossing the start line. I will leave between October and December this year, depending on the arrival of a suitable weather window, and how soon we attract a sponsor’.

More Record Attempt News…

Pure Michigan, a function of the Michigan Economic Development Commission, provided the title sponsorship for the 2009 race. It’s back this year, and talking about extending it beyond 2011. George Zimmermann, Vice President of Travel Michigan, the marketing unit of the commission said to The Detroit News:

“It’s a good sponsorship for us, for a variety of reasons.”

Pure Michigan became the most-visited state tourism site in 2009, largely because of the race. Some two million hits occurred when spectators logged on to michigan.org/gps to follow progress of the race, including individual boats on both routes. The service is available again this year.

The cost of staging the event is estimated at $USD 500,000, making sponsorship crucial to the race’s success.

Last year there were 18 sponsors. This year there are 24, including some who have returned, like DTE Energy, Veuve Clicquot and Bacardi, which is back for the first time in five years. Bruce Babiarz, of BAB Associates LLC says:

“It’s been a great year, and there’s already a great deal of interest for next year. We’re at the best sponsorship level in five years. Bell’s Beer signed up right after last year, and Pure Michigan has a multi-year renewal option. It’s a fanatical tradition that has never been halted since its introduction in 1925. It’s a good fan base not only statewide and regionally, but in other parts of the world.

More USA Yacht Racing News…

Organisers have continued the pattern of recruiting a commercial team from outside of sailing, announcing that Sharon Tuff has joined the Volvo Ocean Race as Head of Commercial Partnerships for the UK. She is a former Senior Sponsorship Manager at Channel 4 and left in 2009 to work as an independent sponsorship and partnership marketing consultant, working with rights holders and media companies. Her most recent assignment was working with venture capital backed Horse & Country TV as Head of Brand Partnerships.

Sharon has over 10 years’ experience of creating selling, negotiating and implementing high value, high impact sponsorships.

With a background spanning media and events, she has extensive experience of creating commercial partnerships and delivering successful activation campaigns. She will be responsible for raising the profile of opportunities to partner with the Volvo Ocean Race amongst UK agencies and clients and delivering sponsorship revenue from the UK.

“I am delighted to be joining a world class, global event with such untapped and underexploited commercial potential,” said Tuff. “We are looking forward to engaging clients and agencies based in the UK. Our aim is to deliver award-winning partnerships that create lasting legacies for those brands involved.”

Greg Miall, Commercial Director for the Volvo Ocean Race added,

“Setting up a UK commercial office is an important step for the Volvo Ocean Race. We have looked across many different industries for the right commercial partnerships person and are delighted to appoint someone with such excellent experience and credentials”.”

More Volvo Ocean Race News…

But ocean racing, despite advances in technology happens ‘out there’ and so VELUX need to ‘activate’ their sponsorship in a visible way on shore. To that end, the company has opened the carbon neutral VELUX House in the French port of La Rochelle.

Sir Robin Knox Johnston said:

“There are now less than 100 days to go until the start of the VELUX 5 OCEANS and things are really starting to get exciting. The opening of the VELUX House in La Rochelle marks the race’s commitment to sustainability and will be a fantastic centrepiece of our environmentally friendly race village.”

Located at the centre of La Rochelle’s maritime district on Esplanade Eric Tabarly in the Bassin des Chalutiers, the VELUX House will showcase to the public how it is possible to build carbon-neutral homes by using the abundance of passive thermal solar energy coming through the roof windows while also creating a healthy indoor climate.

The VELUX House will remain for one year in La Rochelle, serving as a point of information on the race for the visiting public and people of La Rochelle, updating them on news from the ocean sprints, skippers and stopovers. It will equally be used as a venue to showcase sustainability exhibitions and educational seminars on climate change, inviting personalities such as Jean-Louis Etienne and Catherine Chabaud to present their activities.

M. Langrand, President of VELUX France, commented:

“I am very happy to open the VELUX House that the people of La Rochelle will host in their port for an entire year. This CO2 neutral building is a new way of living within which, alongside its energy performance, interior comfort is delivered thanks to the maximum use of natural light and optimal ventilation.”

The VELUX House will form the centrepiece of the VELUX 5 OCEANS race village, overlooking the pontoons which will host the competing Eco 60s. The race village will be open to the public from October 9 and will carry the message of TAKING ON THE ELEMENTS, the race’s sustainability mission, supported by an exposition from race transport partner Maersk Line and other local eco exhibitors from the La Rochelle region. During the weekend of the race start, October 15 to 17, the International VELUX Award for Students of Architecture will be hosted in La Rochelle, centred round the theme of sustainable living, and the VELUX House will be a showpiece for the winners and 600 attending guests from around the world.

The VELUX House is a building experiment that demonstrates how a conscious combination of sustainable architecture, carefully selected components and the building’s surroundings can play a role in tackling some of the major climate and population challenges faced by urban areas all over the world.

More Velux 5 Oceans Race News…

Martin Hill is CEO of Estate Master and one of the greatest Belcher & Page London Challenge 2012 supporters. Malcolm Page is the logistics manager and trimmer for Estate Master’s flagship marketing vehicle, its Farr 40 team. Both teams compete in Asia, the Middle East, Australia and Europe where over 1,300 companies use Estate Master’s real estate valuation software. The teams also compete in North America, which is an expansion market for Estate Master.

It’s no coincidence that the company uses sailing as a marketing platform. A passionate sailor, Hill, is theEstate Master Farr 40 team’s skipper and he and Page won a gold medal in the Tasar at the 2009 Master Games in Sydney. Page rates the win right up there with his other medals. “Martin spent two months training in the boat, and we sailed a textbook style regatta. It was a credit toMartin to show his skills and commitment in an unfamiliar environmentand a perfect example of the business innovation and skills that he uses everyday.”

Says Hill of the Tasar experience; “The old man’s gold medal is definitely a highlight for me as it shows our quickness to take on challenge, our preparation effort (both in Malcolm’s research, preparation and fine tuning of the boat), our training and our attitude in the regatta. Mal’s philosophy all along was, ‘Let us just sail our race and do our best.’ I didn’t even know wehad won the gold medal when we crossed the line.”

Page has been working with Hill and Estate Master for 5 years. “I’m extremely fortunate to have such an understanding employer,” says Page. “As you can imagine, training and competing at this level in the 470 Class is time consuming and keeps me away from home and out of the office for extended periods of time, especially as the Olympics draws near. Martin (Hill) understands and is as flexible as Gumby when it comes to preparing for the Olympic regatta. He is one of the first to say that to be competitive in sailing you need the backing of a team. All of the sailors on his team are grateful for his support, friendship and dedication to the sport. He is a great mentor.”

Page manages the team logistics from a mobile phone and his laptop when he is home in Australia or traveling. There have been times when major Farr 40 regattas overlap with 470 regattas, as was the case with this year’s Farr 40 Word Championship in Caso de Campo, Dominican Republic. It was early enough in the quadrennium that Page raced with the Estate Master Farr 40 team while Australian 470 training partner, Will Ryan, substituted for him in the 470. Belcher and Ryan won Semaine Olympique Francaise, one of the ISAF World Cup regattas.

While Hill and Estate Master understand and tolerate flexible schedules, they demand dedication, preparation and application of science from the sailing team and in the powerful and easy to use property software solutions for property acquisition,disposition, development, management, appraisal and valuation that theyhave developed. Estate Master and its sailing team are leaders in their fields and play a significant role in showcasing Australia’s sailing talent on a world stage.

More Olympic Sailing News…

Volvo will serve as the title sponsor of the Indian International Regatta 2010, having previously served as the event’s exclusive corporate sponsor. Financial terms were not released, however, it is expected to be on similar terms as the two organisations previous agreement, which Sports Pro Magazine estimates at $USD 100,000 per year for 3 years.

Managing director of Volvo Buses, Akash Passey, said,

“We are very proud of our sponsorship of the India International Regatta. Volvo is associated with sponsorship of major sailing championships and connected with loyal and dedicated sailing fans around the world, and as the title sponsor of the ‘India International Regatta,’ we have the honour of extending our relationship with sailors in India too.”

Volvo Penta, Head, S Prabhakaran said:

‘Volvo Penta is committed to promoting the need to preserve and conserve our environment, and sailing is just that sport which connects people to these elements of nature. With the growing popularity of the sport in India, the children are ideal ambassadors for us to help make the change.’

AS Bajwa, Yachting Association of India treasurer, said,

“It is a major step forward in expanding our vision of putting India as the global sailing destination and by tying up with Volvo, the brand leader of sailing races worldwide, it is bound to add tremendous value.”

The regatta to be sailed off Chennai during 03 -10 Oct 2010 is expected to see sailors from Singapore, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Kenya who have evinced keen interest in participating in this year’s event.

The sport of sailing in India is growing fast. As well as increasing participants, India is becoming one of the largest TV markets for sailing content.

More Volvo Sailing News…

Franco Maria Maggi, National Brand Manager, Heineken said:

‘The Heineken Cape to Rio is a jewel in the crown of Heineken’s global partnership with the premium sport of sailing. As Title Sponsor for the third Trans-Atlantic race in a row, we have certainly consolidated our brand ownership of one of South Africa’s iconic sporting challenges.’

John Martin, Commodore of Royal Cape Yacht Club said:

‘We are extremely pleased to welcome Heineken back onboard once again and are equally pleased to be taking the Race back to its roots in Rio de Janerio, site of the finish of the first race forty years ago. ‘Ever since then, the event has maintained its status as the top Trans-Atlantic race on the ocean racing calendar.’

Along with glamour and excitement, Heineken see the associations with a unique spirit of friendship, adventure and achievement as reasons for being involved with the sporting event.

More Sailing Sponsorship News…