Boating Business – Clipper fleet takes on 2015 Sydney Hobart

Clipper fleet takes on 2015 Sydney Hobart

26 Oct 2015

Clipper Race fleet and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to return in Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2015

CLIPPER RACE: Sir Robin Knox-Johnson and the international Clipper Race fleet will compete in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race (RSHYR) this December.

Sir Robin is the founder of the world’s longest ocean race and the first man to sail solo, nonstop, around the world in 1968/9. He will race one of two Clipper 68 yachts that are taking part.

The 76 year old said: “There is a real buzz amongst our Clipper Race crew about racing with the world’s best sailors again in one of the most famous offshore races. The crew will have sailed half way around the world to participate and will be excited to pit themselves against the best competitors in the sport.”

The event will bring together sailors from 26 different countries. The fleet will arrive into Sydney around 11 December on the all Australian leg and will be half way into the race after having departed London on 30 August.

John Cameron, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CTCA) Commodore, added: “This year the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is shaping up to be a spectacular, our 71st race will be an event to watch.”

“Added to the mix we have, for the second time, the Clipper Race yachts. They will bring an additional 14 boats to our race, with the added character that only Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and his yachts and crews can bring as part of their round the world race. We look forward to welcoming them back.” he ended.

Other competitors include Wendy Tuck, the first Australian female skipper in the history of the Clipper Race. While skippers Peter Thornton and Huw Fernie, from Great Britain and Seattle respectively, will compete in their second Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race (RSHYR).

via Boating Business – Clipper fleet takes on 2015 Sydney Hobart.

Race Report confirms 2014-15 edition as best yet| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015

The end of Race Report, released today, confirms that the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race was the most successful ever (full story below).

– Over three times more corporate guests than ever before

– 2.4 million visitors to the Race Village – the highest footfall in race history

– Race Report released to stakeholders today

ALICANTE, Spain, November 2 – The 2014-15 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race was the most successful ever, figures show in the official Race Report released today.

The curtain fell on the 12th edition of the 42-year-old event in Gothenburg on June 27, and today’s report confirms it was the best yet.

Headlines from the report include:

A record number (70,471) of corporate guests receiving unique Volvo Ocean Race experiences – more than three times the previous highest number, achieved in 2011-12, which confirms the Race’s position as a key business platform for its sponsors.

The highest footfall (2.4 million) in the event’s history, with a 16 percent increase on the daily average number of visitors compared to 2011-12.

An increase of 140 percent in online news audience across 113 countries and 27 percent in TV publicity value (€293 million) thanks to improved content from the Onboard Reporters and better quality media covering the Race.

7,663 hours of global TV coverage achieved – a 59 percent rise on 2011-12.

The participating teams achieved an average media value of €47.5 million.

“The Volvo Ocean Race offers world-class and unique hospitality opportunities both on and off the water – and the number of guests to experience our programme has tripled on last edition,” said Race CEO, Knut Frostad.

The comprehensive programme provides guests with a range of premium experiences such as the chance to join the sailors on board for Leg Starts and In-Port Races and be the first to welcome the boats – heading out to greet the fleet as it arrives into each new port.

“We have hosted a record number of corporate visitors in eight of our 10 stopovers around the world – a hugely positive global trend,” added Frostad.

One of the most popular aspects of the programme was the Guest Onboard experience, which offered 2,451 guests the opportunity to race in one of the seven Volvo Ocean 65s. That’s a 58% increase on the 2011-12 edition.

Frostad continued: “We are giving more people than ever before the chance to taste just what it’s like to race, alongside our elite athletes, out on the water. It’s truly a money-can’t-buy experience.”

In addition to the on-water activities, the Race also provided a premium shore experience, including a glitzy Awards Nights ceremony in each stopover, guided tours of the boats, and tailored business programmes such as conferences and product launches.

In terms of the racing, the decision to switch to a one-design class at the end of the 2011-12 edition paid dividends – with boats often separated by minutes and sometimes seconds, right up to the finish line.

“We saw six out of seven boats win both an offshore leg and an In-Port Race,” said Frostad. “There were also seven different points ties between two boats or more over the course of the Race, and seven finishes of less than five minutes between teams, which is unprecedented in offshore racing.”

Sailors from 19 different nations took part in the event, with overall winners Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing consisting of the most – an average of 6.9 nationalities on board throughout the Race.

“The Race’s status as a truly global spectacle is a key value – and, in addition to visiting 11 countries around the world, the teams are becoming more international, too,” added Frostad.

The official Volvo Ocean Race website features content in four different languages, and a team of dedicated media managers produced updates and news in a further five.

With over 2.4 million visitors from all corners of the planet, the Race Villages saw record footfall – with a daily average of 16,326 people coming through the gates. That’s a 16% increase on the previous edition.

The stopovers were shorter and featured interactive activities focused around the Race, such as the ‘Another Day At The Office’ dome and the Volvo Ocean 65 cross section, which illustrated the cramped conditions the sailors endured, and welcomed 497,500 fans on board.

In addition to these attractions, the busy stopover programmes included live concerts, community activities and action displays from Red Bull athletes.

The Onboard Reporters embedded into each boat delivered consistently compelling, high definition content from the most remote corners of the world.

“The main objective this edition was to increase and focus on quality rather than quantity – and we saw a huge improvement in online and print coverage,” said Frostad.

via Race Report confirms 2014-15 edition as best yet| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.

Race Report confirms 2014-15 edition as best yet| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015

“The likes of The Guardian, the New York Times, China’s People’s Daily, the Financial Times and Forbes covered the Race multiple times – and that’s a key measure for us,” he added. “We saw a 140% increase in online news audience, from a similar number of articles to last race.”

Similarly, in terms of TV news output, the Race’s content was featured by bigger audience channels, leading to a 27% increase in publicity value in this area, to €293 million measured by global media monitoring company Repucom.

Meanwhile, race organisers have continued to pioneer new ways to tell the story of this nine-month human endeavour.

The official Volvo Ocean Race app, delivering tailored, mobile-first content around the clock, received 391,000 downloads during the event – that’s more than double the previous edition.

And the Volvo Ocean Race social media platforms also experienced growth and high levels of engagement – with 1.2 million fans signing up to follow the event on Facebook and Twitter.

The Race continues to deliver highly lucrative opportunities for sponsors. The average team media value, measured by Repucom, was €47.5 million.

Even Team Vestas Wind, which spent much of the Race shore-bound due to damaging the boat in Leg 2, achieved a media value of €28 million.

For the 11 host ports of the race, the financial results were similarly positive. The economic impact of the Race on Alicante, the home of the event’s HQ, was measured at €89.3 million by PricewaterhouseCooper.

The next edition of the Volvo Ocean Race – the 13th – will begin in Alicante, in 2017. Seven ports – Alicante, Auckland, Cape Town, Cardiff, Gothenburg, Lisbon and Newport – have already been announced, with the full route to be disclosed in  2016.

via Race Report confirms 2014-15 edition as best yet| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.