Yacht Club working on new Rolex deal
The Royal Malta Yacht Club is negotiating another three-year sponsorship deal with Rolex for the Middle Sea Race. The present sponsorship runs out this year, having had a considerable impact on the race. "Rolex has sponsored it since 2002, seeing the...
The Royal Malta Yacht Club is negotiating another three-year sponsorship deal with Rolex for the Middle Sea Race. The present sponsorship runs out this year, having had a considerable impact on the race.
"Rolex has sponsored it since 2002, seeing the fleet size grow from 42 to 68 last year, representing 18 nations," Rolex spokesman Giles Pearman said.
"These numbers deserve to be seen in context: In the five events preceding Rolex's involvement, the largest fleet was only 23 yachts."
The race is one of four offshore classics sponsored by Rolex, the others being the Rolex Fastnet Race in the UK, the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in Australia and the Giraglia Rolex Cup from St Tropez to Genoa.
Rolex's involvement has ensured extensive media coverage for the event. The 2006 race was featured in a 26-minute documentary broadcast in over 40 countries, with a reach of 340 million homes. The event is one of only nine sailing events featured on www.rolex.com. It is also filmed as part of the Rolex Spirit of Yachting television series.
The film footage is included on a DVD, along with the seven other Spirit of Yachting series programmes. The DVD is distributed to owners of all yachts that compete in Rolex events around the world (including the US, Australia, UK, Italy, Germany and France), along with international media and select individuals interested in yacht racing.
The international media also takes notice. Last year's race attracted journalist crews from France, Germany, Greece, Italy Netherlands, Russia and the UK. CNN Mainsail was present at the start.
"This year articles will be published in newspapers and magazines in at least 18 different countries and over 50 websites around the world will publish one or more web pages on the event," Mr Pearman added.
This year sees 69 boats taking part, beating last year's record of 68 boats, although the bad weather earlier this week may hold up some of the foreign participants.
Club commodore Georges Bonello du Puis is very satisfied to see that there are 13 local boats taking part but the real challenge is to keep increasing the number of foreign participants.
"This is very good for Malta," he said. "They come here and bring container-loads of materials, they rent cars and mobile phones, they fly in and out and many stay in hotels. Almost all of them will have some work done here.
"A number of boats that come here to race have work done here before and after the event - as do the local boats too! But more and more are staying on for the season. Rubino is the latest one to confirm a berth but there are many other enquiries," Mr Bonello Du Puis said.
This year's race will be the first one to be based at Grand Harbour Marina since the restaurants and cafes opened and he anticipates that the presence of 750 crew will result in a bonanza for them.
Rolex is not the only one investing in this race: The yacht club spent Lm6,000 upgrading the race website and will be using a new tracking company to monitor the boats' progress.
The club has still not yet got the green light from Parliament for its new premises on Manoel Island but at least the road to the club has been tarmacked - last year, only a section of it was resurfaced.
"When the America's Cup came to Europe, scouts came here to see whether Malta could host some of the preliminary races but there are no facilities here. Still, it is going to stay in Europe for another round: Perhaps Grand Harbour will be ready in the future to tackle something like this."
With this race not yet under way, Mr Bonello du Puis is already planning for next year's, which will mark the 40th anniversary of the race.
"Stormvogel, the first Maxi to be built, and Ocean Leopard, the latest one to be built, will be taking part," he said. The Rolex Middle Sea Race leaves from Marsamxett on Saturday morning.
"Rolex has sponsored it since 2002, seeing the fleet size grow from 42 to 68 last year, representing 18 nations," Rolex spokesman Giles Pearman said.
"These numbers deserve to be seen in context: In the five events preceding Rolex's involvement, the largest fleet was only 23 yachts."
The race is one of four offshore classics sponsored by Rolex, the others being the Rolex Fastnet Race in the UK, the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in Australia and the Giraglia Rolex Cup from St Tropez to Genoa.
Rolex's involvement has ensured extensive media coverage for the event. The 2006 race was featured in a 26-minute documentary broadcast in over 40 countries, with a reach of 340 million homes. The event is one of only nine sailing events featured on www.rolex.com. It is also filmed as part of the Rolex Spirit of Yachting television series.
The film footage is included on a DVD, along with the seven other Spirit of Yachting series programmes. The DVD is distributed to owners of all yachts that compete in Rolex events around the world (including the US, Australia, UK, Italy, Germany and France), along with international media and select individuals interested in yacht racing.
The international media also takes notice. Last year's race attracted journalist crews from France, Germany, Greece, Italy Netherlands, Russia and the UK. CNN Mainsail was present at the start.
"This year articles will be published in newspapers and magazines in at least 18 different countries and over 50 websites around the world will publish one or more web pages on the event," Mr Pearman added.
This year sees 69 boats taking part, beating last year's record of 68 boats, although the bad weather earlier this week may hold up some of the foreign participants.
Club commodore Georges Bonello du Puis is very satisfied to see that there are 13 local boats taking part but the real challenge is to keep increasing the number of foreign participants.
"This is very good for Malta," he said. "They come here and bring container-loads of materials, they rent cars and mobile phones, they fly in and out and many stay in hotels. Almost all of them will have some work done here.
"A number of boats that come here to race have work done here before and after the event - as do the local boats too! But more and more are staying on for the season. Rubino is the latest one to confirm a berth but there are many other enquiries," Mr Bonello Du Puis said.
This year's race will be the first one to be based at Grand Harbour Marina since the restaurants and cafes opened and he anticipates that the presence of 750 crew will result in a bonanza for them.
Rolex is not the only one investing in this race: The yacht club spent Lm6,000 upgrading the race website and will be using a new tracking company to monitor the boats' progress.
The club has still not yet got the green light from Parliament for its new premises on Manoel Island but at least the road to the club has been tarmacked - last year, only a section of it was resurfaced.
"When the America's Cup came to Europe, scouts came here to see whether Malta could host some of the preliminary races but there are no facilities here. Still, it is going to stay in Europe for another round: Perhaps Grand Harbour will be ready in the future to tackle something like this."
With this race not yet under way, Mr Bonello du Puis is already planning for next year's, which will mark the 40th anniversary of the race.
"Stormvogel, the first Maxi to be built, and Ocean Leopard, the latest one to be built, will be taking part," he said. The Rolex Middle Sea Race leaves from Marsamxett on Saturday morning.