BMW come aboard Swedish Match Tour

by Sean McNeill on 30 Jul 2004 The Swedish Match Tour proudly introduced international automobile manufacturer BMW as the newest partner of the global professional sailing series at an announcement today during the Portugal Match Cup.

BMW, headquartered in Munich, Germany, joins the nine-event Tour as a Partner in a three-year agreement that runs through the completion of the 2006-'07 Tour season.

As the official car of the Swedish Match Tour, BMW will award a BMW 545i Touring to the Tour champion. The BMW 5 Series Touring, valued at Euro 70,000 (approximately $85,000), will be awarded in conjunction with the $60,000 bonus prize offered by the Swedish Match Tour, making the Tour championship worth approximately $145,000.

‘We're very happy to have this association with BMW,’ said Pierre Tinnerholm, President of the Swedish Match Tour. ‘The Tour has built a solid foundation over its first five years, and the addition of BMW helps raise the stature of the Tour.’

The BMW Group, with sales of 41.5 billion Euros (approximately $50.9 billion) in 32 countries, is one of the world's 10 largest automobile manufacturers.

Founded in 1916, BMW sells more than 1.1 million automobiles annually, including 176,000 MINI's, and almost 93,000 BMW motorcycles. It has 23 production and assembly plants in 14 countries, and more than 100,000 associates.

In becoming a Partner, BMW found many benefits in the Swedish Match Tour.

There's the Tour's close association with America's Cup teams, many of which use the Tour for match-racing practice and crew training.

Also, there's the Tour's distinction as the most successful professional sailing series, its global presence and the great opportunity to provide international hospitality and customer relationship programs in the different BMW markets.

‘Being the most renowned international match-race series in the world, the Swedish Match Tour offers the ideal platform for further reinforcing BMW's commitment to sailing in the respective countries,’ said Klaus Kibsgaard, President of BMW Portugal.

BMW will have a noticeable presence on site at events. The company's logo will be on the bows of the race boats, and it will provide cars to each event.

‘This is an important sponsorship for the Tour,’ said Tour director Scott MacLeod. ‘With a company like BMW aboard it shows that the Tour delivers a solid return on a sponsor's investment.’

The sixth season of the Swedish Match Tour includes nine events with prize money totaling more than $1 million. The Portugal Match Cup is the first event on the 2004-'05 schedule, and is followed by the Danish Open (Skovshoved, Denmark) Aug. 11-15. Other events are scheduled in Bermuda, Japan, the U.S., Italy, Germany, Croatia and Sweden.

With a gleaming BMW 545i Touring awaiting the Tour champion, every regatta counts. ‘This is a really exciting development, to have a BMW 545i Touring included as the final prize for the Swedish Match Tour,’ said reigning Tour champion Peter Gilmour of Australia, skipper of the Pizza-La Sailing Team.

‘Everybody is very determined to win, so it is highly likely you will see some different regatta winners throughout the 2004-'05 Swedish Match Tour.

However, the most consistent team will win out. Are we more determined to defend our championship? You bet!’