Sail-World's America's Cup coverage - we're taking you to Valencia!
by Sail-World Media on 3 Feb 2010
Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing line up for the first time George Johns/Alinghi
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Sail-World will again be producing a special newsletter for the 33rd America's Cup. The world's largest email newsletter will provide over 85,000 subscribers, worldwide with the latest information from the heart of the regatta venue, in Valencia, Spain.
New Zealand and US Editor, Richard Gladwell leaves for Valencia on Friday evening, and will remain until the end of the regatta or around the 13th February. He has been covering the America's Cup since 1987, and reported extensively on the 1988 Big Boat vs The Cat 'Match'.
The Sail-World America's Cup newsletter will follow along line of similar publications it produced for the 32nd America's Cup, the 2008 Olympics, the 2009 Louis Vuitton Pacific Series and of course, the highly popular Sydney Hobart race series.
With the three first mentioned publications content is not really known at this stage, and is dependent on stories and material that are available at the venue. 'We're pretty used to being light on our feet', says Gladwell who produced 50 America's Cup newsletters of around 10 stories per newsletter, in 2007, from his hometown in Auckland.
'We did consider doing the same again, but in the end the uncertainty over live TV coverage that swung the decision. We felt that being on the water and dockside, in Valencia, was the best option for our readership and advertisers.'
'The newsletter will be published using the same software and web applications that drive Sail-World's publications 24x7 every day of the year, so we don't expect any technical issues, provided we can get a good connection out of Valencia,' Gladwell added.
'That means we can provide a mix of video, audio, reports and images - all cut into the one story, if it requires.
'The Match is supposed to be available live on the internet, however that doesn't suit everyone with their particular time zones, and for many who are sleeping during the racing, Sail-World will provide their most up to date coverage - all delivered to their Inbox.'
Sail-World is expecting to be working with other correspondents in Valencia, and also expects to be drawing on the resources it has been using to cover a number of other sailing events, such as the 2009 TP 52 circuit and Louis Vuitton Trophy.
Backing up will be the Sail-World Editorial team and network, outside Europe, many of whom will be working through the night to bring you the best possible coverage.
'We learned a lot of lessons in China, with the 2008 Olympics, working under some very difficult conditions - it pays to go in with a very open mind to the coverage content, and you can usually put together something pretty special, and unique to that event, rather than just following a formula, or doing what you did last time', Gladwell says.
Sail-World has broken many America's Cup stories over the last two and a half years and has a very good network of Cup insiders and will be drawing on this resource, too, for information that can be relayed to Sail-World's readership of over 360,000 readers per month worldwide.
A couple of preview issues of the America's Cup newsletter are planned - looking at how the 33rd America's Cup has unfolded since July 2007 - concentrating on the boats, design and technology rather than legal side.
It is hoped to produce the first newsletter from Valencia on Sunday 7th February, after the official functions to mark the beginning of the Match - which will be unique in sailing history. The series will conclude with a look ahead to the 34th America's Cup and a number of teams are expected to be in Valencia to help get the next event underway on a proper basis.
To receive Sail-World's FREE America's Cup newsletter http://www.sail-world.com/NZ/newsletter_subscribe.cfm!click_here and at the same time chose any other Sail-World publications that you wish to receive.
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