Audi Australia has been re-arranging its sailing sponsorships over the last 12 months or so. The company ended long-term deals with events like Victoria Week and the Sydney Harbour Regatta, but has now announced that it will continue its relationship with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

Garry Linacre, Commodore of the CYCA, has confirmed that Audi Centre Sydney will continue on as the naming rights sponsor of the Audi Winter Series, the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race and the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy.

Commodore Linacre said:

“On behalf of the CYCA we are proud and honoured to continue our association with Audi, the largest corporate sponsor of competitive yachting in Australia. We are pleased that Audi will continue to be one of the Club’s key sponsors and has renewed its commitment to the sport of yachting. With Audi’s sponsorship, the CYCA can continue to deliver some of Australia’s premiere yachting events including the Audi Winter Series and the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race; and lead the way in developing the sailors of tomorrow through the Youth Sailing Academy.”

Audi Centre Sydney Dealer Principal, Joe King said:

“We look forward to working closely with the CYCA to bring the Audi brand even closer to the Club’s members. Audi has been a keen supporter of competitive sailing for some years now as we see clear parallels between the automotive industry and sailing in terms of technology, competitiveness and progressive thinking. We are excited to again support ‘anchor’ events as the Audi Winter Series and of course the just-completed Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.”

“The CYCA’s Youth Sailing Academy is also a fantastic grass roots initiative which we applaud, bringing new skills and a love of sailing to children in the Club’s local area. This is certainly a place to find future world champions and Olympians and Audi. ”

Each of the sponsored events have different audiences and reflect different brand characteristics.

The Audi Winter Series has fleets averaging 140 plus boats weekly making it is one of the biggest weekly winter sailing events in the world, attracting more than 1,500 competitors who enjoy plenty of action packed round the buoys racing on the beautiful Sydney Harbour each week.

The CYCA Youth Sailing Academy was set up 18 years ago and is now one of the first full-time sailing academies dedicated to foster the development of young keelboat sailors. This sponsorship support of the the Academy’s training program provides opportunities for the Club’s young talent to attend national and international ISAF graded regattas to gain greater experience. Many graduates have gone on to sail on member yachts, sail professionally or compete in the Olympics. In 2013, the YSA will celebrate its 20th anniversary.

• More Automotive Sailing Sponsorship News
• More Australian Sailing News

Audi Australia, a long-time supporter of sailing, has anounnced that it will not renew it’s sponsorship deal with the Sydney Harbour Regatta organised by Middle Harbour Yacht Club (MHYC). The title sponsorship has run for five years.

Audi says it is looking for new sponsorship opportunities within Australian sailing. In May, Audi announced that they would also not renew their sponsorship of Victoria Week – a two year deal that also came to its end without being continued. The brand is a major sponsor of the Australian Olympic sailing team.

Uwe Hagen, Audi Australia’s Managing Director, said:

“After five years of this great event, it’s time for Audi in Australia to focus on new areas of sailing sponsorship. We have enjoyed our time as title sponsor of this spectacular and popular regatta, and we wish the event all the success for the future. It has been a pleasure to work with the Middle Harbour Yacht Club, which has delivered a thoroughly professional event each year.”

“The conclusion of this sponsorship nonetheless sees Audi continue to be involved at a high level with the sport of sailing in Australia, although our activities will take a new direction for the future.”

Commodore of MHYC, Julie Hodder, commented:

“Middle Harbour Yacht Club is proud of the partnership developed between the Club and Audi Australia in building this event into the iconic landmark sailing event for Sydney that it now is, with over 300 yachts and 2,500 crew members competing inshore and offshore, over two days of racing, on eight course areas and over 24 divisions. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Audi via its ongoing involvement in the sport of sailing in Australia.”

Audi’s commitment to sailing around the world continues to be strong through events like the Audi Med Cup and recent sponsorship of Match Race Sweden.

More Australian Sailing News

Only a few days after the America’s Cup Event Authority inked a deal with Louis Vuitton and the long time partner expressed their satisfaction with the strategy to keep out the pretenders with significant payments, the organisers of the elite sailing trophy have drastically reduced the entry fees and performance bonds. The desire to have more than four boats in the competition has proved to be a stronger driver than the size of a team’s bankroll.

The news was revealed to the yacht racing industry at the World Racing Forum in Portugal that the entry fee would be drastically cut by over a million US dollars. Originally the entry fee was set at USD1.3million payable in April 2012, but now the amount is just USD $100,000 though it must be paid 10 months earlier.

The Performance Bonds have been cut from USD $3million to just USD $1million.

Of course it’s hard to sell television for an event that only has a few teams and the more countries that enter, the more territories are likely to buy rights. The decision may have been rewarded in the last few days with an announcement that Australia will challenge for the Cup.

Australian Syndicate to Challenge for the America’s Cup?

An Australian syndicate including Ludde Ingvall, skipper of the YuuZoo Big Boat Racing Team, has announced that they will challenge for the next cup. However, the story has only had limited exposure and there are irregularities in the statement that don’t seem to line up with the new process. Ordinarily, the America’s Cup Event Authority have been quick to endorse such entries with official press-releases, but we haven’t seen anything. Australian newspapers are also sceptical.

The press-statement is perhaps a rallying strategy to raise investment and support. Ingvall says:

“Excellence in youth sailing is my objective. We want to bring home the many talented Australians sailing for other countries and give them a chance to compete for their country. We want to create a legacy for future generations, something to aspire to, a reason for any Australian youngster to get out there and take part in our wonderful sport of sailing at all levels.”

The syndicate have high hopes for the challenge, but some statements are a little strange. Project manager Dario Valenza says optimistically:

“Bringing an event to Australia would rival Oprah’s visit in tourism value as well as boosting Australia’s marine industry.”

The statement refers to a well publicised tour of Australian by perhaps the world’s most recognisable woman. The day an America’s Cup sailor can be recognised by first name only is a long way off. As for the tourism value – Winfrey’s show is syndicated to 215 TV stations across the U.S. and 145 countries around the world. Many sailing events claim this, but the difference is that people actually watch Oprah.

Nevertheless, an Australian entry in the America’s Cup would be a good thing. As syndicate member and multi hull expert Peter Baker says:

“Australia has been the challenger at seven and the defender at one of the 33 America’s Cup events so far and has sought to challenge on three other occasions. Australia has provided America’s Cup teams worldwide with more members than any other nation in modern times. We want to bring them home. The last America’s Cup was won for the USA by an Australian skipper on a boat designed by an Australian racing against another boat designed by an Australian for a Swiss team. Yet Australia has been out of the game for 13 years.”

For Australia not to sign up to the New-Deal America’s Cup would be a blow for the architects of the vision for the future. The syndicate is looking to be a host for the annual America’s Cup World Series as well.

Ingvall is banking on Australia’s national sporting pride to deliver a nationalistic campaign – something that is missing from many of the recent teams.

“We want to get everyone working together to make possible a true people’s challenge for the benefit of all Australians. The new format America’s Cup is a once in a lifetime chance to jump to the front of a sporting and technological revolution. Being part of the America’s Cup also means bringing races to Australia, fantastic for tourism and the chance for Australian fans to see their team in action. Our aim is to engage the Australian public, corporate Australia and Australian sailing institutions such as yacht clubs and associations. We are undertaking due diligence with well respected business advisors reporting on the economic impact of taking part in what is the third largest sporting event in the world.”

We’ll wait and see. The same syndicate promised big things on the social media front in 2009 with their entry into the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The reality didn’t quite get there.

More America’s Cup News.

Despite the success of the Volvo Ocean Race‘s successful stopover in India during the last race, the country has not really received the attention it should from sailing rights holders. Recent viewing figures that we’ve seen show that the television audience for sailing in India is huge – much larger than some S.E. Asian countries where world series’ currently have events (or are planning on having events?).

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is taking advantage of this demand for sailing content in the region by announcing that the race will be broadcast throughout Asia, Pacific & Indian Sub-Continent via the Australia Network.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia had granted rights for the broadcast of the entire ninety minute start program of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2010. The gross media reach is up to 31 million homes across 45 countries in Asia, the Pacific and the Indian sub-continent, including Australian troops serving in Afghanistan and other parts of the region.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race joins a list of other top sporting events such as the Melbourne Cup, Tri Nations rugby and State of Origin that are shown on the Australia Network.

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Garry Linacre said:

“We are extremely pleased that we have the opportunity to bring this iconic yacht race and the sport of sailing to an even larger regional audience through this agreement.”

Rod Webb, Head of Programming of the Australia Network said:

“Our main interest is to continually provide our expatriate audience with content, and we hope that we can begin a tradition this year by including the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race start program into our offering and that it will become a regular must-view program in the years to come.”

The start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an iconic part of Australian sporting culture. On Boxing Day, sports fans switch between the sailing and the Cricket while they recover from Christmas celebrations the day before.  In 2010 the Seven Network reported 1.2 million Australian viewers had tuned into the race start, with an additional global audience watching the broadcast online.

More Australian Sailing News…

Youth sailing in Australia will continue to be supported by GME Electronics. The company has extended its sponsorship of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Youth Sailing Academy, backing the GME Elliott 6.0 m. The deal will last a further 12 months.

Anthony Dunn, Director of Standard Communications/GME, said that the company was committed to the sport of sailing and ensuring the future growth of the sport in Australia.

“GME is delighted to continue to support the development and success of the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy. The development of sailing is foremost in the Australian sporting culture and resembles a parallel in our industry to produce world leading sailors and marine electronic products alike.”

“On behalf of GME we wish the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy every success and look forward to closely watching and assisting the development and success of the next Australian champion sailors.”

CYCA Rear Commodore and chairman of the Training & Development Committee Howard Piggott said:

“The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia prides itself on providing one of the leading youth sailing academies in Australia. Elliott sponsorship is vital to the ongoing maintenance of the training fleet and provides support for the many programs and regattas that the CYCA’s Youth Sailing Academy conducts.

More Sailing Sponsorship News…

We’re taking a little break, making the most of some late summer sunshine… Here are some stories that we’ve noticed in the last week or so.

GP42 Class to Split from Audi Med Cup

The GP42 Class, which has supported the Audi Med Cup in 2010 will  go their own way in 2011. Marrying these boats with the TP52 seemed like a good idea at the time, potentially giving spectators more racing to watch on any given Sunday and allowing series promoters some economies of scale.

The GP42 class says that the decision to split from the Audi Med Cup is to attract previous GP42 teams back to the class and attract new teams. It is reported that GP42 owners will help event organisers in their planning and give the class “a strong hand in pursuing potential sponsorship opportunities.”

GP42 Class President Javier Goizuetas said:

“We are excited to make this firm commitment to the 2011 season. The Audi MedCup has been fantastic for us, but we look forward to expand class racing to new and exciting racing venues.”

More Audi Med Cup News…

CYCA Announces Club Marines as Naming Right Sponsor of Twilight Series.

Some places are blessed with the geographic and cultural conditions to make sailing a more accessible sport. Not only does Sydney have a great sailing venue, but the locals have a work culture that allows people to step away from their computers and boardroom tables early on a Wednesday to sail.

Club Marine has become the new naming rights sponsor of the longest running, largest midweek twilight series on Sydney Harbour conducted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. The Club Marine sponsorship commences with the 2010/2011 season which starts on Wednesday 6 October 2010, and will continue up to and including the 2013/2014 season.

More than 100 yachts compete each week in the non-spinnaker, non-pointscore series, with great prizes to be won every week. The Club Marine Wednesday Twilight Series comprises of 20 races commencing on 6 October and running until 30 March 2011.

Every Wednesday evening during daylight savings 1000 sailors will take to the water to participate in the Club Marine Wednesday Twilight Series, taking advantage of the fun harbour racing which finishes at sunset, followed by a celebratory drink and a meal at the CYCA deck overlooking the floating marina.

CYCA Commodore Garry Linacre said

‘I welcome the sponsorship support from Club Marine for one of our most popular summer sailing series. Thank you to Chief Executive Officer Greg Fisher and NSW State Manager Andrew O’Reilly for their support and generosity.’

Club Marine CEO Greg Fisher said:

‘The CYCA works long and hard to ensure the Wednesday Twilight Series always has the mix of fun and competitiveness just right and Club Marine is proud to stand behind an event that brings so many sailors together for such a good time.’

More Sailing Sponsorship News….

This is quite an old video, but it is worth watching again if you have seen it. If you haven’t it’s definately worth a watch. Includes footage of the worst Sydney Hobart race ever as well as a couple of Aussies trying to bend the rules a bit.

For those who say that sailing isn’t a spectator sport, the weather in Sydney Australia came to the party for the spectacular SOLAS Big Boat Challenge. Some of the largest, fastest yachts warmed up for the Sydney Hobart Race, with Wild Oats XI leading them home past the Opera House.

Stephen Ainsworth’s brand new Reichel/Pugh 63 Loki, captured the handicap first place, a remarkable result for a boat that has only been in the water since last Thursday.

According to numbers presented by Knut Frostad, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, at the World Yacht Racing Forum last week, Australia is one of only three countries where Sailing features as a top ten sport.

This may be in part to races like the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge – with news helicopters buzzing and ferries passing through the fleet – the technologically advanced boats with ‘Rock-star’ crews remind us what it is all about.

The organisers of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), are also embracing new technology and giving those not lucky enough to be in Sydney on Boxing Day, a chance to watch 90 minutes of the start of the race.

The Seven Network and Yahoo!7, will provide a live 90 minute webcast of the start of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race to a global audience.

With spectator numbers on Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Harbour foreshore expected to reach around 500,000 people, together with Seven Network’s Australia wide television audience of 500,000 viewers, and the addition of Yahoo!7′s national and international audience reach, it is predicted that the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be one of the most viewed sporting events in the world in the month of December.

CYCA Commodore Matt Allen today announced,

“I am delighted to announce this wonderful initiative and a first for the sport of yachting through our broadcaster Seven Network in which we have extended the rights for the start of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race to incorporate a live webcast on Yahoo!7. This enables a truly global audience to view the race start – and with the large number of international entrants in this year’s race, this will generate an even greater worldwide interest to one of the world’s most iconic ocean races.” -

To see all the colour and action of the start of the 64th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race tune into the Seven Network or the official race website

http://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/ and follow the links to www.yahoo7.com.au/sport from 12.30pm AEST on 26 December 2008.

Want to be part of the crew on a world class maxi like Wild Oats XI, or Skandia, Ichi Ban or Shockwave 5? Bidding is now open in the CYCA, SOLAS Trusts, eBay Auction. The Cruising Yacht Club has offered places on these boats during the SOLAS Big Boat Challenge on Tuesday, 16th of December 2008.

This annual big boat dash around Sydney Harbour, will again bring together a number of Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours contenders. This year the fleet will be racing to raise awareness, and money, for the CYCA’s Safety of Life at Sea, (SOLAS) Trusts, which support search and rescue organisations Australia-wide. The CYCA Solas Trusts Charity was set up as a charitable trust in 1999 as a result of the tragic events of the 1998 Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. To date almost $450,000 has been donated to search and rescue organizations Australia wide, Financial support has also been provided to immediate families of those lost at sea during Australian Yachting Federation sanctioned races. 

If you are going to be in Sydney, the choices up for bidding are:

Wild Oats XI

In her Rolex Sydney Hobart debut, this state-of-the-art 30m maxi with canting ballast twin foil, took line honours in record time and won the Tattersall’s Cup – the only boat to take the trifecta since Rani in the first race in 1945. Wild Oats XI achieved the hat trick of line honours wins last year. Wild Oats XI is attempting a fourth successive line honours win following extensive modifications aimed at making the 30m Reichel/Pugh designed maxi faster and stronger. Two places are on offer on this ‘Makybe Diva’ of ocean racing.

Skandia

Two places on Grant Wharington’s 30m maxi Skandia from Melbourne are also available. The Rolex Sydney Hobart 2003 line honours winner, Skandia, is for the sixth time making the trip from Melbourne to Sydney for the Boxing Day start of the 64th race to Hobart. Come the 16th of December, Wharington and his Victorian crew will be charging around Sydney Harbour at breakneck speed attempting to be one of the front runners across the finish line off the Opera House.

Ichi Ban

CYCA Commodore Matt Allen has offered two places aboard his Jones 70 Ichi Ban, which finished third across the line in last year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart and is backing up this year. In the right conditions and on an open ocean, this modified Volvo 70 is capable of reaching speeds in excess of 30 knots or 55 kilometres per hour.

Andrew Short Marine Shockwave 5

Andrew Short’s new acquisition has brought him recent success on the race track. After purchasing the boat in the USA earlier this year and before bringing her back to Australia, she took line honours in the St David’s Lighthouse Division of the 2008 Newport Bermuda Race. Upon her return to Australian shores, Andrew Short Marine Shockwave stretched her legs at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week and has since proven she is a dominant force in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race after notching up a win in the Gosford – Lord Howe Island Race (which is often used as a qualifying race for Hobart). Two places are also on offer on this exciting boat.

Bidding for all four items will close on 8th December 2008. Terms and conditions apply. See more here

Australia’s Seven Television Network has reaffirmed its commitment to sailing and sport in unveiling its new 18ft skiff, Gotta Love It 7, at Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont in Sydney this afternoon.

Following on from the outstanding success of young Sydney sailors Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton and Rob Bell aboard Gotta Love It 7, launched by the Seven Network in 2006, the new skiff has hit the water in good time for the coming 18ft skiff racing season which starts on Sydney Harbour on 12 October.

Seven’s Chief Executive Officer, Broadcast Television, David Leckie felt it was time to move into a new phase, so commissioned a new skiff, which like its predecessor, is emblazoned with Seven’s distinct red livery.

At the time of launching Seven’s first Gotta Love it Seven, Leckie had remarked: ‘We can’t wait to see that big red Seven back on Sydney Harbour.’

Commenting, Seven’s Head of Sport, Saul Shtein said: ‘Seven is so much a part of Sydney and the Harbour, with our skiff and our coverage of the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race. Iain and I have been mates for years and all of us here at Seven are proud to be involved in such a great part of summer in Sydney; the skiffs on the Harbour.’

The 18′ skiffs race each Sunday and the season starts in October. For those wanting to follow these exhilarating skiffs racing on Sydney Harbour, a ferry departs from home of the 18 foot skiff, the Australian 18 Footers League Club at Double Bay, prior to race commencement each week, where the public can watch crews rig their boats in the park before departing. Those preferring to watch from shoreside, can do so from Shark Island, Bradley’s Head on the North side of the Harbour, Nielsen Park at Vaucluse, Camp Cove and its headland at Watsons Bay and many other vantage points around the Harbour.