Tillerman that is where 90% of sponsorship money goes in all clubs, either to underwrite the event or make greater profit for the club! In smaller events it is generally used to underwrite the event to enable the club to host the event in the first place. larger clubs tend to be profit driven with managers who have a set of KPI’s or bonus structured around financial results.

Personally I believe that the on-water activities conducted by a club should be break-even or run at a small loss – the real money is made over the bar anyway.

I looked at their website, and yes, they do claim to sponsor over 110 regattas worldwide.

However, I think it’s more of an associated sponsorship rather than full on naming rights. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic they support this many events!

Perhaps it should be what the product sponsoring the events gives back to the sailors…

Maybe there is another company out there who does even more than Rolex and Mount Gay Rum however they are in the background?

Regardless of this I think it’s great that so many companies are getting behind the sport even if I can’t afford their product. But I will still happily wear the free cap “with an advert on (my) head for a distilled sugarcane beverage with a slightly risque name”.

Free promotional caps are cool too – for some reason thousands of sailors are quite happy to spend their time walking around with an advert on their head for a distilled sugarcane beverage with a slightly risque name.

Which brings me back to your original question. According to wikipedia (so it must me true)… Mount Gay sponsors over 110 regattas worldwide. How many can Rolex claim?

I can actually answer this question with an honest “Yes”.

When I was recently up in Hamilton Island for Race Week I happily purchased “Inner Circle Rum” as it was the sponsored rum of the regattta. It is also owned by the Oatley Family who own Hamilton Island and “Wild Oats”. I was on their island so consumed their rum.

“Mount Gay” rum was the token beverage at Airlie Beach Race Week so again, it was this ale I purchased over my standard favourite. Even at the endless line of bars that I walked past on my way back the accommodation I would pop in and have the “Mount Gay” and proudly wore the free promotional cap it came with.

Back when I was a youngster “Royal Copenhagen Icecream” sponsored a Flying Eleven National Championship I competed in. We got a voucher for one free icecream which I cashed in. I loved it so much that my friends and I went back whenever we were in the area because the icecream was just so yummy.

So it would seem that I do support sponsors because they support us.

What goes around comes around I guess!

OG

Having been privy to discussions at one yacht club planning to run a major championship, it seemed that theintention was that the money from the sponsors mainly went to increase the profit that the yacht club made on the event.

So a question for you OG – have you ever bought anything even partly because the manufacturer sponsored a yachting event?

What if Rolex did support/sponsor a laser event? Would you enter it or veto the regatta because of the association with the elitist/luxury brand?

Audi are now associated with the Etchells and Hamilton Island Race Week and will soon begin to dominate other events in Australia.

I think we just have to respect the fact that yachting is seen as a rich mans sport however one that can be enjoyed by all due to its diversity.

OG.

Are they right about sailing? Most of the guys who sail Lasers with me aren’t rich and wouldn’t dream of wasting their money on a Rolex watch. I wear a Timex Ironman and it suits me just fine.

And is this association of sailing with a luxury brand helping to perpetuate the image of sailing as a rich man’s sport and, if so, is this a good thing for the future of the sport?