Rolex extend Hobart race sponsorship

This and other news from the CYCA AGM

At the Annual General Meeting of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, outgoing Commodore Matt Allen announced that Rolex SA will extend its naming rights sponsorship of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and its associated regattas, the Rolex Trophy One Design and Rolex Trophy Rating Series, up to and including the 2015 race.

Rolex has been the naming rights sponsor of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race since 2002.

“As one of my final duties as Commodore of this great club I am pleased to announce that Rolex will continue to sponsor one of the greatest ocean races in the world – the Rolex Sydney Hobart, for a further five years,” said Commodore Allen. “Their commitment to the sport and to the Rolex Sydney Hobart greatly assists the international reputation of the race. From the time of Rolex’s involvement we have seen an increasing level of international interest combined with a strong Australian fleet from the smallest yachts at just over 30ft to the larger maxis at 100ft.”

Since the tough 60th anniversary race in 2004 when 116 starters lined up for Australia’s ultimate blue water event the fleet size has steadily climbed with 100 yachts taking to the start line on Boxing Day last year, including a record eight maxis.

Commodore Allen continued: “The CYCA has had a close collaboration with Rolex since it first entered into the sponsorship of the blue water classic. Their association with us has greatly enhanced the Rolex Sydney Hobart and lead up Rolex Trophy Series for the competitors and the interested followers of these events. The CYCA is delighted to make this announcement and thanks Rolex for its ongoing involvement and support."

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The CYCA have also granted an extension of the exclusive rights to broadcast the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race from 2011 to 2015 to Seven Network.

The new agreement takes effective from the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and will continue up until the end of the 2015 race.

The Seven Network will produce and broadcast nationally a 90 minute live program of the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race, with commentary provided by CYCA member Gordon Bray, who has hosted the last three start broadcast programs.

The broadcast will be supervised by Saul Shtein, Seven Network’s Head of Sport, and a former competitive sailor. Having managed the live broadcasts for the last five years Shtein knows the intricacies and technical challenges of covering yacht races and has a great idea of what the public wants.

In addition to the start program, Seven Network will provide regular ‘in-race’ updates that will be shown nationally at key intervals throughout the day up until the overall winner of the race is announced.

Further, the CYCA has granted the Seven Network, through its online affiliate Yahoo!7, the exclusive worldwide internet/online rights to webstream the live 90 minute broadcast of the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2010 and the regular in race updates.

Seven will also broadcast the race film produced by Rolex, ‘Spirit of Yachting’, in January, adding to coverage of one of Australia’s most watched sporting events.

New CYCA Commodore

Members of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia elected well known yachtsman and marine industry identity Garry Linacre unopposed as their new Commodore.

Linacre replaces Matt Allen who completed his three-year term of office as senior flag officer of Australia’s leading ocean racing club.

The new Vice Commodore is John Cameron, who moves up from Rear Commodore, while the two Rear Commodores, Howard Piggott and John Markos, were elected unopposed. Paul Billingham was re-elected as Treasurer.

No vote was required last night for directors with Anthony Dunn (owner of RP 42 Equinox II) and Arthur Lane (owner of Beneteau Oceanis 46 Inkonkoni), joining existing directors, Geoff Bonus, David Chamtaloup, Michael Cranitch, and Nick Kingsmill on the board. Outgoing Director Richard Cawse, who has been a member of the Board for six years, did not stand for re-election.

New Commodore Linacre thanked Immediate Past Commodore Matt Allen for his eight year tenure as a member of the Board, and his last three as Commodore. “Matt completes his three years as Commodore and he will largely be remembered as one of the most approachable, inclusive and popular incumbents to have served our great club in this office. During Matt’s time he strengthened our Youth Sailing Academy and his work on the Audit Planning and Risk Committee has manifestly helped our club reach the level of fiscal strength we enjoy today,” Commodore Linacre said as he addressed the meeting.

“Matt must also be congratulated for his work with the CYCA SOLAS Trusts in strengthening its reserves, raising its profile and carefully distributing benefits under the CYCA SOLAS Trusts charter. I am pleased to advise that Matt has agreed to stay on as Chairman of the CYCA SOLAS Trusts for the time being,” Commodore Linacre added.

Allen was presented with a framed CYCA Commodore's burgee, his Past Commodore’s badge and burgee to fly on his yacht by Commodore Linacre.

Garry Linacre, has been a director for the past ten years as well as serving for a short time in the 1980s. He has been the Chairman of the Sailing Committee for the last three years and a member of the Training & Development and Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Planning Committees, as well as being a director of Yachting NSW and a member of its Member Advisory Council.

Commodore Linacre has worked in various facets of the marine industry for most of his career and is currently the general manager of Navionics Australia. Born in Melbourne, Garry has represented Australia in many classes including Lasers and Etchells and has competed extensively offshore, sailing aboard well-known yachts such as Mercedes lll, Gretel, Superstar, Bumblebee lll, Apollo, Shockwave, Amazon, Windward Passage and Wild Thing. Garry served as the board of directors’ representative on the radio relay vessel Achilles on two occasions.

"I would like to thank all members of 2010/11 Board of Directors in advance for the dedication and time it takes to fulfill the responsibilities of being a member of the board, and also thank outgoing director Richard Cawse in addition to Immediate Past Commodore Matt Allen and look forward to another productive year serving the members of the club,” Commodore Linacre concluded.