Galway Officially Announced as Volvo Ocean Race 2011 Finish.

As reported in the Irish press over the weekend, Galway will host the final stop of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. Galway withstood strong opposition from several rival cities in the official port bidding process to earn the right to host not only the finale but also the overall prize-giving ceremony.

At today’s announcement, Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad said:

“I am very proud to confirm Ireland’s participation and Galway will be a magnificent port to stage the finish of the event. We have already experienced the enthusiasm that abounds in Ireland for the race and we are looking forward to bringing the competition to its conclusion in a country that really knows how to celebrate.”

At a press conference to mark the occasion, Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen, said:

“The 2009 stopover in Galway made an abiding impression on the sailors, support crews, organisers and media, who were immersed in the warmth of an Irish welcome. Their presence, in turn, had an enormous beneficial impact on Galway, the west of Ireland and indeed the entire country. Their arrival here was spectacular and their visit helped generate a massive 55 million Euros for the regional economy, more than one third higher than the original projections. Given its economic benefits and its importance to Irish tourism, I am more than happy to welcome the return of the Volvo Ocean Race to our shores and pledge our support for the event.”

http://www.volvooceanrace.com/news/article/2010/MARCH/GALWAY-ANNOUNCEMENT-100310/index.aspx

Craic in Volvo Secret Stopover Schedule? Galway Final Stop in 2012?

Organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race have created their own kind of ‘March Madness’, by choosing to reveal the stopovers for the next edition of the round-the-world one by one throughout the month.

Last week, the French press ignored the embargo date for the news that Lorient would be the second European stop and set tongues wagging about how the French stopover may scuttle any chance for Galway to host the race. Some commentators have speculated that the clever PR folks in Alicante have been carefully using the leaks to keep the race announcements in the news, but whatever the strategy, there are a lot of people waiting for the route to be revealed.

Both the Irish Times and the Galway Advertiser are today predicting that rather than lose a stop on the race, Galway will in fact host the finish of the race. The Advertiser is more cautious of the two outlets saying:

To secure the finish of the race would have been thought to have been beyond the wildest dreams of the Galway backers, but in the past few days, it has become a strong possibility…

The paper quotes ‘Let’s Do It Galway’ Chairman John Killeen:

“To compare it to a game of rugby, we are 10 points up with 10 minutes to go. We are nearly there, but not yet, and while I am reasonably confident, there are always pitfalls. The Volvo officials are keeping their cards close to their chest on this one, but the official announcement is expected next Tuesday.”

The Irish Times is more confident, with the headline : “Cowen to detail Volvo race’s Galway finish,” then says;

“Cowen is expected to confirm this week that the next Volvo around the world yacht race will finish in Galway in 2012. Mr Cowen is expected to make the announcement in Dublin, when he will explain that the race festival will be an “all-island” affair.”

The economic benefit of the previous stopover in Galway is well known and the Government has committed €4 million towards the new bid. The Irish Times also reports that the Green Dragon will compete – she will be given a new keel, its sails will also be modified, and all this work will be carried out in Ireland, John Killeen of Let’s Do It Galway has confirmed.

Lorient Confirmed as Volvo Ocean Race Stopover for Two Editions.

It’s always interesting to speculate in the new era of instant news and communication whether or not a savvy team of PR and media folk leak information with intent, or whether they are still caught out by the way the new world order works. The Volvo Ocean Race have made official, news that France will host a stopover of the 2011-12 race. Confirmation of the news came today at 12:00, though some media had ignored the embargo and released the information earlier.

Lorient, in Brittany on the northwest coast of France will be the penultimate stopover for the 2011-12 event. The deal is for two editions of the race, which will give promoters and investors a chance to develop infrastructure and receive the economic benefits over a longer payback period. Multiple edition deals are good for everyone and show the strength of the Volvo Ocean Race proposition. It is also very important for the Volvo Ocean Race to be relevant to the passionate French sailing market.

Knut Frostad, Volvo Ocean Race CEO said:

“We are extremely pleased to have a strong French presence in the race. It has long been our goal to reignite the passion of this classic event among the French people and we are delighted to have reached an agreement with the city of Lorient to host the event for two consecutive races.”

Norbert Metairie, Mayor of Lorient and President of Cap l’Orient Council said:

“Over the last 10 years, Lorient has transformed its submarine base into a European-wide sailing cluster, hosting a business centre dedicated to yachting activities where maxi trimarans ‘Banque Populaire V’ and ‘Groupama 3′ were built. It also hosts an offshore sailing centre of about 50 teams including France’s most famous skippers. Today we are pleased to have demonstrated that Lorient is a perfect site to host international events such as the Volvo Ocean Race which will undoubtedly yield significant benefits.”

The move is a smart one for the Volvo Ocean Race. While most other global sailing platforms are struggling to announce formats, venues and teams for their next events, the VOR is locking in a secure proposition for the next 5 years over two editions. This long term approach gives security to sponsors and partners and allows potential teams to make long term plans. With every announcement of this kind, the Volvo Ocean Race positions itself as being more commercial, more professional and therefore more invest-able than events like the America’s Cup or the Louis Vuitton Series.

Emirates Team NZ Drop Volvo Ocean Race Plans in Hope of New Cup Attempt.

Emirates Team New Zealand boss, Grant Dalton has told NZ Media that the team will not compete in the next Volvo Ocean Race. While race organisers have said that stopovers will not necessarily be tied to competing teams, the news probably means that Auckland will not be a stopover for the next edition of the round the world race.

The Volvo Ocean Race had been seen as a platform to deliver value to the Emirates, the team’s long time sponsor in the absence of a recognisable America’s Cup campaign.  According to the most recent news,  the Volvo race has been ditched for two reasons: it was proving too expensive and was superfluous to the team’s needs. Emirates Team NZ are committed to a TP52 campaign in the Audi Med Cup and the new Louis Vuitton Trophy.

Dalton hopes that with the DOG Match now happening in Valencia, the future of Emirates Team NZ in the America’s Cup will be more certain, once a winner is determined. Notwithstanding more court cases and the lack of wind in Spain, Grant Dalton is hoping to move on. He said:

‘I don’t for a minute discount the possibility of more delays but there’s now, for the first time in a long time, light at the end of the tunnel. ‘There’s a future for the team beckoning within days really. we are still here’ and ‘ready to race again’ once ‘there’s certainty in the future of the event’.

‘Above all else that is what we want, certainty. The best result for us is for the winner [of the deed-of-gift match] to announce a Challenger of Record and say the defender will enter into dialogue with the challengers. That’s about the best result we can hope for.’

‘My focus needs to now turn to raising money and getting the team back together again. My heart is still in a Volvo but it would have been a massive distraction and the board felt we needed to change course.

Magic Marine Recruit Bouwe Bekking as Ambassador.

Around Boat Show time, sailboat manufacturers like to tell me that the reason they don’t do racing is because it is a small industry and their customers can’t make the association between high performance R&D developed through competition and buying a boat to go cruising. Sail manufacturers and clothing manufacturers on the other hand do understand that customers feel better about a brand or a product when it has been given endorsement from those at the top of the sport.

Not so long ago, there were not many choices when it came to specialist sailing clothing. Local markets were dominated by local brands with one or two gaining global penetration. Now, with the Volvo Ocean Race reaching a more global audience, clothing brands can capitalise on the international recognition of the few sailing superstars to market their product.

Bouwe Bekking is one of those superstars; one of the handful of all around ambassadors and heros in the sport of sailing. Bekking has recently joined the Magic Marine team to assist and share in the vision and future of the brand to the worlds participants. He says:

“Since my first Volvo Round The World Race new technologies have been developed and integrated in the Volvo boats and one result has been that designers could create super fast sailing boats which reach speeds up to 70 km an hour and can travel distances of nearly 600 miles in 24 hours. The downside for us sailors is that the term fire hose sailing has become a common word on the boats. My goal is to help Magic Marine develop the best offshore gear for a Volvo Ocean Race crew member. It is refreshing to see that Magic Marine has the drive and the knowledge to fill my high demands. One thing I know for sure, if I am well protected on the ocean, the same will be the case for you.”

The demand for sailing fashion will continue to grow on and off the water as sailing gains penetration in new markets. The use of sailors to endorse products will be key to the success of new brands. Max Blom Sr., President of Magic Marine said:

“Bouwe is known in sailors minds as the ‘last man standing on a sinking ship’ or the ‘toughest guy’ but most importantly the most trusted skipper in ocean racing. We look forward to grow with his experiences, learn from his knowledge and live through the stories. This will be an exciting ride.”

http://www.magicmarine.com/

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