Audi announces major sailing sponsorships

by Rob Kothe on 6 Mar 2006 The increasing recognition of sailing as a significant sponsorship opportunity world-wide continues, with German luxury carmaker Audi, announcing two major new sponsorships as part of the company’s commitment to sailing in Australia.

Speaking at the inaugural Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta on the weekend, managing director, Joerg Hofmann, officially announced the company had signed long-term agreements with two major Australian sailing events, Hamilton Island’s Race Week and Geelong Week.

‘We have just signed a long-term agreement to be the main sponsor of Hamilton Island Race Week. Our involvement this year kicks off with Audi as official car partners and from 2007, we step up a level, launching Audi Race Week at Hamilton Island,’ he said.:

The 23-year-old Hamilton Island event features a fleet of more than 200 boats and from 2007, Audi will also become the official car partner of Geelong Week, with its 450-plus competitor fleet, again demonstrating Audi’s commitment to sailing in Australia.

‘With Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta, Audi Race Week, Hamilton Island and Geelong Week, Audi becomes the largest corporate partner of competitive sailing in Australia,’ Mr Hofmann said.

‘Almost 1,000 boats and thousands of sailors will compete in Audi-sponsored events in 2007 in these three regattas alone. This represents a large investment for Audi in this country,’ he added.

‘Audi and the sport of sailing are an excellent fit, linked by innovation in design, technology and performance and for this reason, Audi has long been successfully involved in large sailing events in Spain and Italy.’

‘The sailing industry is known for engineering excellence,’ continued Mr Hofmann, citing innovations such as the canting keel, winged keel and extensive use of kevlar, titanium and carbon fibre to name a few.

The weekend’s Audi Sydney Harbour Regatta proved to be a major spectacle, watched by thousands of people from the Harbour foreshore and hotly contested by 217 boats in 17 categories. The major prize for the event is an Audi A4 Avant. On Tuesday two crew members from each of the 17 division winning boats will be driving Audis’ at a venue yet to be announced, to decide who ultimately wins the Audi.

Audi started its’ Australian backing of sailing in January 2006, sponsoring the Australian Etchells National Titles in Melbourne, won by Sydney sailor Rob Brown, who narrowly beat 1983 America’s Cup skipper John Bertrand. And Audi will also sponsor the 2006 Audi Etchells World Championships in Perth, later this year in November.

Joerg Hofmann summed up. ‘Constant innovation and fierce competition drives the best sailors to consistently challenge the old ways of doing things and this is a perfect reflection of Audi’s 100-plus years of pioneering heritage.’









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