Mistaken identity provides dividends for Australian Sailing

by Event media on 5 Dec 2003 In March 2002 Geelong Festival of Sail organiser, Doug Jarvis was trying to contact his Cowes Combined Clubs (Organisers of Cowes Week) equivalent to compare notes and arrange an exploratory visit. Mistakenly Jarvis contacted the sponsors of the world’s largest and oldest keelboat regatta and everything evolved from that fortunate error.

Having eventually made the trip to Cowes Jarvis quickly established a rapport with key Skandia representatives. Coincidently Skandia were looking to expand their global sailing sponsorship program. ‘Doug’s visit couldn’t have come at a more opportune time’, said Skandia's Global Marketing Director, André Oszmann.

‘Skandia Cowes Week has been a huge success for us and as part of our developing global sponsorship program we wanted to find a similar event that would complement the regatta. Doug’s presentation and description of the Festival of Sail had immediate appeal and from the outset we could see the potential and the sponsorship opportunities it presented’.

Skandia’s interest was so great that they made the trip across to the other side of the world to see first hand how Australia’s largest and oldest regatta stacked up as a sponsorship opportunity.

On January 25, 2003, Oszmann arrived in Melbourne in time to watch the beginning of the famous passage race from Williamstown to Geelong. ‘My arrival at the former Festival of Sail was quite unique’, commented Oszmann. ‘I arrived on the hottest day on record, 46.5˚C and the first person I met was Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks’.

‘We were hugely impressed with what we saw at Geelong. Competitors and spectators alike enjoyed great racing and a great atmosphere on land. The similarities with Skandia Cowes Week are uncanny, yet at the same time the event has a totally unique atmosphere. We came to Geelong with a positive attitude about how potential sponsorship could work for us and what we saw and enjoyed only served to confirm our beliefs’.

In March 2003, Skandia launched their global sailing program ‘Skandia Set Sail’ followed in August with the launch of Skandia Geelong Week.

‘Skandia Geelong Week represents a major addition to the Skandia Set Sail sponsorship program which aims to make sailing more accessible and grow the sport’s reach. We feel that Skandia Geelong Week is the perfect event to help us achieve this.
With Skandia Geelong Week and Skandia Cowes Week we have a unique opportunity to develop Victoria’s oldest sporting event alongside the world’s largest and most famous regatta’, Oszmann said.

‘Skandia has been the title sponsor of Cowes Week for nine years. We have an exceedingly knowledgeable and experienced team who are looking forward to bringing their energy and expertise to Skandia Geelong Week. Matched with the obvious popularity of the event and the passion and vision of the RGYC, together we can create a truly spectacular event’.

The Royal Geelong Yacht Club Inc. as the organizing authority invites owners of eligible yachts to apply for entry to Skandia Geelong Week regatta which will be conducted on the waters of Port Phillip and Corio Bay from Thursday 22nd January to Monday 26th.

Early Bird entries close 5pm Monday 5th January 2004. Standard fee entries close 5pm Friday 16th January 2004 after which entries may not be accepted. Telephone entries will not be accepted.
Faxed entries will be accepted. (03) 5223 2768

For complete details on every aspect of Skandia Geelong Week visit the web site www.geelongweek.com.au