ITV’s Max Graesser to race Global Challenge

by Rachel Anning on 10 Jun 2005 Max Graesser, Managing Director of Operations for ITV News Division, is packing his bags to fly out to Boston and take part in Leg 5 of the Global Challenge.

Graesser will be joining Dee Caffari’s crew aboard Imagine It. Done. for the highly competitive downwind sprint from Boston to La Rochelle which will see racing at fever pitch as teams scramble to get the last few points - the overall winner still not clear despite the fact there are only another two legs left of the race.

ITV is the official News Broadcaster for the Global Challenge. Graesser comments: ‘I am absolutely delighted at the opportunity to participate in the Global Challenge 2004/2005 Round the World Yacht Race not only for the personal challenge (which is very real) but also because it cements a long standing relationship between ITV News and sailing.

‘Our association with the Global Challenge goes back to the very first race - we gave it extensive news coverage then, and continue to do so today, ITV's footage being carried by international broadcasters such as CNN, TVNZ and the Weather Channel.’

‘The race start and every leg finish and race restart has been covered on our regional news programmes by reporters and cameramen who are specialising in making sailing accessible to armchair viewers who do not know their jib from their gybe - but do recognise the remarkable courage and spirit of adventure shown by the crew volunteers and skippers racing in this year's race.’

Onboard each yacht are cameras recording all the action, including footage taken from Graesser’s yacht in Leg 2 which captured an emergency airlift of one of the crew, who nearly lost his life in the Southern Ocean after he became dangerously ill – a story that was transmitted world-wide.

The growth of interest in sailing has been on the up considerably in recent years both in print and in the broadcast world, which ITV has been at the forefront of developing: ‘Recently viewers were able to watch exclusive coverage of Ellen Macarthur’s record breaking solo circumnavigation on ITV News Channel, with live coverage of her return to Falmouth shown on both ITV1 and News Channel. ITV has also provided exclusive coverage of the Volvo Ocean Race 2001 - 2002 producing 10 hour long network documentaries and 38 half-hour weekly programmes.

The North Atlantic sprint to La Rochelle will be a baptism of fire to the yacht-racing world for Graesser. Most of the crew onboard will already have circumnavigated the globe so the unpredictable conditions of the North Atlantic will not faze them. The same cannot necessarily be said for the ‘leggers’, of which Max is one!

Graesser explains his sailing prowess: ‘I have spent a life messing around in boats and have been a boat owner for nearly twenty years. Having said that, although passionate about boats and water, I am an out and out cruising sailor rather than racer and in character I am, according to my family, more Pugwash than Aubrey! I feel incredibly privileged for the chance to take part, and look forward to the restart in Boston next month.’

Talking about his respect for founder of the race, Sir Chay Blyth, Graesser concludes: ‘Sir Chay Blyth is an inspirational figure - and his race continues to inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things.’

Over a career in the broadcasting industry panning over 25 years Grasser has previously held a wide number of posts across ITV including Chief Operating Officer for Granada Sport and Interactive, Chief Operating Officer Granada Broadband and Director of Production, Granada.