GBR Challenge update

madforsailing caught up with Leslie Ryan on the sponsorship trail

Leslie Ryan, GBR Challenge's Head of Sponsorship & Marketing, brought madfor sailing up to date recently with the schedule for Peter Harrison's team over the remaining few months leading up to the start of the Louis Vuitton challenger series.

Schedule

At present GBR Challenge are located at the former Spanish base between the Team New Zealand and Sweden's Victory Challenge compounds in Auckland's Syndicate Road. The team are carrying out intensive training with their two boats out on the Hauraki Gulf. Their program takes in the America's Cup International Regatta (formerly 'The Road to The America's Cup') on 11-17 Febrary, racing against Team New Zealand, OneWorld and Sweden's Victory Challenge.

At the end of March the team fly back to the UK, where the new boat will be launched at 1200 on 12 April at the GBR Challenge compound in Cowes. She will be christened by HRH, The Princess Royal.

Following the launch the team will sail their new boat for 3-4 days "to make sure she floats", before she is shipped to New Zealand. Meanwhile the crew will stay on in the UK where they will continue match race training.

May will be a month off for the crew, before they return to New Zealand and continue their training in the new boat out on the Hauraki Gulf building up to the beginning of the Louis Vuitton Race on 1 October.

Balance sheet

At present Peter Harrison is still bankrolling the campaign with the budget now up to £20-22 million. Leslie Ryan says they are working hard to offset a portion of this by raising sponsorship to the tune of £5 million. "He's saying 'I'm putting the money into it, I'll make it happen, but there is an opportunity for companies to show their support. But if I don't get any corporations on board it is hard for me to come on board for a second time.' This time they will put in relatively, small amount and pay more next time."

Ryan says this £5 million could come from one large sponsor who would get the naming rights to the boat or a group of smaller sponsorships. "It is slow," she admits regarding their progress trying to rouse corporate Britain to support their effort, the terrorist actions of 11 September being a contributing factor. "At present there are four serious big sponsors we're in discussions with."

Part of Ryan's pitch is that sponsors will get not only commercial value, but emotional value from their participation and she stresses that in the event of GBR Challenge being knocked out early on GBR Challenge's corporate hospitality package will continue through to the America's Cup.

To date GBR Challenge have no cash sponsors, but have already secured £2 million in goods in kind from 18 companies such as £250,000 worth of shipping from P&O and sailing kit from Musto.

Finally there is the business club launched recently at London Boat Show, membership to which costs £25,000. Ryan says that those who sign up to this can take advantage of key hospitality packages. "It's for banks who want to take their clients down to the America's Cup and get invited to key events," she gives as an example.

See page 2 for the latest on the TV rights

An image which would make many people in the UK very happy, none more so that GBR Challenge boss, Peter Harrison