Yachting News 12th February 2011
Do you want one of the toughest but most exciting media jobs in sailing?
Posted on 10 February 2011 by Valencia Sailing
Check out the latest videos from the Volvo Ocean Race. The film “Difficult Decisions” was shot during the last race by Media Crew Member Gabri Olivo aboard Telefonica Azul, we think it demonstrates brilliantly the extreme working conditions that the new crop of MCM’s will experience in the next edition of the race starting on 29th October, in Alicante, Spain.
Wild Days Rum, available at all liquor stores on Waiheke Island – more here
When I told friends in Sydney that I was sitting on a beach in New Zealand the comment was met with no small amount of wonderment. New Zilund, for the record, does have beaches. Very nice ones at that. It was whilst en route to one of my favourite spots in the Auckland region – Waiheke Island’s Onetangi Beach – that I came across another surprise for my Australian friends. New Zealand makes rum too.
Greetings yachties,
In this issue:
MOD70,
Laura Dekker update,
Extreme 40,
Social Media and Yachting,
Bluenose 11,
US Mini650,
YAG,
Sail-World NZ – latest issue here,
Enjoy
Photos Multi One Design S.A. – ©Yvan Zedda / Sea&Co
“This is the result of a long process” says Stève Ravussin, the skipper and one of the initiator of the series. “To respect the strict one-design concept and to guarantee the performance and the reliability, we had to implement a number of quality controls. It was a huge work, but we managed to achieve it. I believe we have a splendid project that is becoming reality. As a matter of interest, thanks to the implementation of the control procedures, we have already built four sets of floats, with a maximum of 4 kg difference between pieces which are more than 22 meters long.” He adds: “Creating a whole one-design series makes it difficult to realize that it is also “my” boat that will leave the shipyard! It is really a different feeling than working on a personal project. I am really happy, I do not realize yet, but this will be fantastic.”
Sailing girl meets family on Bonaire
KRALENDIJK — Laura Dekker will be seeing her grandfather and grandmother, father and sister on Bonaire again and she intends to enjoy this reunion. She really wants to visit the nature parks of Bonaire and get to know the island because nature protection appeals to her. Her next stop will be…? Perhaps Curaçao, albeit a short one, followed by the San Blas Islands where Dekker will visit the Kuna Indians before sailing through the Panama Cannel into the Pacific with her boat Guppy.
She mentioned this yesterday during a press conference at the Plaza Hotel. Dekker had arrived on Bonaire last weekend, where Gerard van Erp, manager of Plaza Marine and his family welcomed her. The sailing girl, as she is also named, wants to become the youngest solo sailor around the world. She is 15 years of age. During her voyage, she wants to support the work of Sea Shepherd. This organization protects the sea life worldwide and fights against the illegal whale hunting, amongst others. For this reason, Dekker takes nature films and these are incorporated in a report in cooperation with Sea Shephard. She also intends to visit Sea Shepherd on the Galapagos Islands and in Australia.
Yacht Racing Facebook ‘League Table’.
January 18, 2011 by Yacht Racing Business Editor
Filed under Marketing Technology
Update: The Yacht Racing Facebook League Table will be updated here…
There is no doubt that digital technologies that allow sports fans to get closer to their favorite teams and players have changed the communications landscape. But for all the hype, all the self appointed social media gurus, has sailing got it right yet?
At the World Yacht Racing Forum in December, Richard Worth of the Americas Cup Event Authority suggested that social media would be the vehicle to bring the new deal cup to the masses – perhaps making a promise to deliver Russell coutts’ vision of sailing for the Facebook Generation.
At the same event Richard Hosford from Hugo Boss racing told the audience that the sponsor put a value on a Facebook fan – the reasoning, which makes sense, is that a Facebook fan is a known individual who can be communicated with personally over time.
For most sailing properties, the interactive nature of social media – at least on the platforms that are most recognisable – like Facebook and Twitter, is not utilised or embraced.
Most sailing communications departments are staffed by old-school PRs who have a broadcast mentality. Some have come around to an idea of ‘narrow-cast’ but few are comfortable with the ‘back-channel’ which invites praise and criticism alike, in real time to a mass audience. For example – the recent Zhik Moth Worlds, which delivered exciting sailing, amazing photos and thrilling video never provided me an answer to my Facebook question – “where is the best place for spectators to watch the action?”
