Category: america’s cup

SAN FRANCISCO PLAYED?

Supervisor Claims SF Was ‘F-ing Played’ By America’s Cup Organizers

Emirates Team New Zealand skippered by Dean Barker competes in a fleet race of the America’s Cup World Series on October 5, 2012 in San Francisco. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – The America’s Cup Organizing committee is millions short in coming up with private funds to cover the costs of covering the yachting race. Now a San Francisco supervisor has said city officials were “f-ing played” by race organizers and he’s “f-ing ashamed” of the likelihood that the city will spend millions in public funds on the event.

A February 2012 report by the city controller’s office raised concerns that the America’s Cup Organizing Committee wasn’t raising fundsfast enough to meet funding goals. Last week, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Lee said officials have raised about $14 million of the estimated $31 million to $34 million neededto host the 55 days of racing beginning in July. Public funds will be used to make up the difference it the city falls short – a scenario which is growing increasingly likely.

Only four racing teams, rather than the dozen or so initially envisioned, have paid entry fees and are planning on competing for the most prestigious trophy in competitive sailing. All four teams will be based at a single location rather than along the city’s waterfront as originally envisioned.

John AvalosSan Francisco Supervisor John Avalos (SF Board of Supervisors)

District 11 Supervisor John Avalos now says he wants a hearing into how the fundraising deficit has grown this large, according to an SF Weekly report, and says that language indicating that organizers would simply“endeavor” to raise their portion of the funding was largely overlooked by city officials.

“I was f-ing played. All the members of the Board of Supervisors were f-ing played,” Avalos said to the Weekly. “There was a full-court press on us from the America’s Cup Organizing Committee to play us…I am totally f-ing ashamed.”

Avalos said he would explore the possibility of calling off the race, but concedes that the city is committed contractually at this point.

Mark Buell, who is chair of the fundraising committee, previously told the San Francisco Chronicle that hosting the America’s Cup will still benefit San Francisco economically even if the city breaks its promise about refraining from using public money to pay for the event.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This

WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE SAN FRANCISCO?

UPDATE 2-Puma abandons sailing for running as profit sinks

FRANKFURT, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Sportswear firm Puma said it is pulling out of the sailing market to concentrate on other sports such as soccer and running to rebuild its flagging business, leaving an Americas Cup team seeking a new sponsor.

The German company, which on Thursday reported a 70 percent drop in its annual profit, is going through its biggest reorganisation in 20 years to restore the business and get its products back in fashion in the United States, Europe and China.

The group is closing stores, cutting product lines and last month said it would stop sponsoring rugby union football, no longer providing kit forIreland‘s team after the next season.

Outgoing chief executive Franz Koch, leaving as part of a management shake-up instigated by Puma’s 82 percent owner PPR , told journalists on Thursday it would take “some time” before the restructuring brought visible success.

Sales this year are expected to remain on a level with 2012’s total of 3.27 billion euros. Net earnings, which dropped to 70.2 million euros from 230 million in 2011, are expected to improve significantly this year, Koch said.

Earnings in the final quarter were hit by costs of 98 million euros related to a payout in Spain to reclaim trademark rights from a former licence holder and costs for closing its operations inGreece, Cyprus and Bulgaria. It will continue to distribute products to these countries.

The company also cut its dividend for 2012 to 0.5 euros from 2 euros last time.

Puma’s shares, which have lost 5 percent of their value over the last year, were up 1.2 percent at 234.4 euros by 1424 GMT. “Investors are hoping that Puma can get back to reaching new heights after the restructuring,” said one trader.

 

DROPPING THE OCEAN RACING

The company has already said it wants to focus more on soccer and running and will now stop sponsoring the Oracle sailing team, current holder of the Americas Cup, after the 2013 season. The team wear race gear supplied by Puma and the company’s jumping cat logo can be seen on the sails.

Puma had also entered a team twice in the Volvo Ocean Race, ending in third place in the final in July 2012, but will not be entering another team.

Brands pay upwards of 10 million euros ($13 million) a year to sponsor the major sailing teams, according to sports market research company Repucom.

Koch declined to provide figures, saying only it had invested a “significant amount”.

Repucom said the sport was interesting to higher-end premium brands like Prada because out of the 331 million sailing enthusiasts worldwide around 19 percent are reckoned to be high earners.

However, for the big sportswear brands like Puma, and larger rivals Nike and Adidas, soccer and basketball are much bigger money-spinners due to the sheer number of people following such sports worldwide.

 

BACK ON HIS FEET

Koch will leave the group at the end of March, after less than two years as chief executive, and a replacement will be announced in the coming weeks, the 33 year-old said on Thursday.

With a profit warning, tumbling sales and criticism from predecessor Jochen Zeitz, the former professional hockey player said it had been a tough year. “But like a true sportsman, I am used to getting back on my feet again,” he told reporters.

Until a new chief executive is installed Chief Financial Officer Michael Laemmermann and Chief Commercial Officer Stefano Caroti are to lead the company with support from PPR’s Jean-Francois Palus, who chairs the Puma supervisory board.

$999.00

For $999, you can watch sailing, on public land

02.11.13 – 3:12 pm | Tim Redmond |

(5)

Did SF get kicked in the balls, or what?

 

Here’s the deal of a lifetime: For $999, you can get a ticket to watch the America’s Cup races. From beachers built on public land. Where the non-wealthy public won’t be allowed.

The America’s Cup Event Authority, run by Larry Ellison, who is the third-richest person in the world, has sent out an email soliciting buyers for this special early deal: Buy now, and you will be guaranteed a “reserved section in a preferred area of the bleachers,” as well as exclusive access to parties and events, and a chance to get your picture taken with the Cup.

Which, by the way, is having trouble raising money — and could leave the city on the hook for as much as $20 million. Which loudmouth critics like Aaron Peskin and Chris Daly warned about from the start. So we’ve gone from the races being a huge economic boon, worth billions to the city, to poor Mark Buell, who has to ask people to give money to underwrite Larry Ellison’s yacht party, saying that even if the city loses money, it will still all be worth it.

Those poor San Francisco plebians who don’t have $1,000 will be able to see the races, but Ellison’s team recommends spending the cash, now: “There will be a section of free-view bleachers,” the Event Authority’s Ryan Carroll told me. “But those seats will be limited, and we expect them to fill up quickly.”

And there may still be some cheaper seats coming; tickets for individual races will go on sale later, and seats at the prelims in June might not cost as much, Carroll said.

Other areas for public waterfront viewing “will be congested,” he said.

Jane Sullivan, marketing director for the America’s Cup Organizing Committee (which is the city’s operation, separate and distinct from Ellison’s), said it’s not neccessary to give Ellison a thousand bucks to see the sailboats whip by at 50 miles an hour: “The entire waterfront will not be filled up and congested,” she said. “There will be ample and lovely free viewing of all the races.”

So let me sum this up: The taxpayers spend $20 million underwriting Ellison’s race. Then Ellison’s team wants us to pay him $999 for the right to sit on a bench on public land and watch. Who does this gentleman think he is? (Oh right: He’s Larry Fucking Ellison.)

SAN FRANCISCO AND AMERICA’S CUP WOES

Stalled efforts to bring in big donors could put San Francisco taxpayers on the hook for upward of $20 million for the America’s Cup.

With the 55 days of steroidal sailing just six months away, fundraising efforts to cover the estimated $31 million to $34 million cost for police, cleanup, transportation and other expenses have pretty much hit the wall at $14 million.

Originally pitched as a competition between as many as 12 international teams, the race is now down to three entries. The shrinking size of the event has helped reduce costs, but it also substantially cut into corporate interest in sponsorships, which city officials originally thought would bring in $300 million.

Recreation and Park Commission President Mark Buell and his group have managed to raise $9 million from local donors and another $5 million from the race organizers in the form of a loan that may not have to be repaid.

Now those sources are about tapped out. So Mayor Ed Lee has personally taken up the drive to raise money.

“He’s optimistic that with a concerted effort, he can keep fundraising on par with expenses as they come in,” said Lee’s spokeswoman, Christine Falvey.

The mayor is also enlisting help from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Board of Supervisors President David Chiu. In other words, everyone is on this and hoping it works out. But if it ends in a bailout, the feeling at City Hall seems to be that it’s worth it.

“Between the money that will come in from tourists and the crowds and the sales taxes it will generate,” Buell said, “I still think that, no matter what, it will come out a boon for the city.”

Still, time is short, money is tight – and those who have been working the phones tell us it’s not easy asking for money to help finance a yacht race being put on by Larry Ellison, one of the richest men in the world.

Texas treat: Publicly, Gov. Jerry Brown is calling Texas Gov. Rick Perry‘s three-day trip to try to lure California businesses to the Lone Star State “barely a fart.” But privately, he’s kind of happy about it – figuring the poaching threat plays right into his desire to streamline California’s environmental laws to make the state more business-friendly.

“The stage is set – he’s opened the umbrella wider than any other Democratic governor has ever done before,” said one key aide. “Now he’ll stand back and let the Legislature make their moves.”

Betting line: Now that San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has announced he intends to appoint Supervisor Carmen Chu as city assessor, speculation is growing about her likely replacement in District Four.

The mayor said he plans to spend the next month hearing from the community and various political constituencies before announcing his pick, but we’re hearing he may be leaning toward Chu’s aide, Katy Tang. She is well-regarded in progressive circles and would have a strong chance of being re-elected in a district where Asian Americans make up the majority.

Another top contender is former prosecutor Suzy Loftus – who not only would be the lone white woman and mother on the board, but is seen as someone not afraid to speak her mind.

Burned: Peninsula school districts weren’t the only losers in a failed lawsuit against San Mateo County seeking to recover $20 million in lost Lehman Bros. investments – so were the county’s taxpayers.

A dozen school districts accused the late county Treasurer Lee Buffington of ignoring prudent investment standards by putting so much of their money into Lehman before the company’s 2008 collapse.

A three-judge state appeals court panel, however, ruled otherwise.

So now, in addition to the $20 million loss, taxpayers are on the hook for the county’s legal bills – which, as of Dec. 31, totaled $1.2 million to the high-powered San Francisco law firm Keker and Van Nest, which the county hired to fend off the school suit.

Keker was brought in because the county counsel’s office works for both the county and the school district.

“That was our point all along,” said winning lawyer Stuart Gasner of Keker’s firm – it “was a lot of robbing Peter to pay Paul. What a waste of time.”

By the way, there may be more legal bills.

Farley Neuman, the San Francisco attorney who filed the case on behalf of the schools – and who gets paid only if he wins – said he is still mulling an appeal to the state Supreme Court.

“In our view, there is an important public policy issue here,” he said.

 

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or e-mail matierandross@sfchronicle.com.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/America-s-Cup-could-cost-S-F-millions-4265828.php#ixzz2Kayi5L72

For those of us who still follow the America’s Cup, this is not really a surprise. The Cup is barely recognizable. Sailing it seems is secondary to the events surrounding it.  How many concerts? How much advertising? Doesn’t all that mean it should be able to stand on it’s own?

 

 

SAILING NEWS, NEWPORT AC AND VENDEE GLOBE

February 3, 2013; Day 86) – There was good news today for Jean-Pierre Dick
and Virbac Paprec 3. After losing his keel 11 days ago, he was able to
leave his mooring in the Spanish haven of San Cyprian in Galicia at 0720hrs
this Sunday morning. JP had sought shelter Thursday to ensure his final
miles across the Bay of Biscay would not face strong conditions that his
crippled yacht could not endure. There was additional good news when the
jury announced they would not penalize JP for the use of his engine when
retrieving the mooring buoy.

However, there was plenty of bad news too, with the worst of it coming
Sunday morning when two distress beacons from ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered,
skippered by Spanish solo sailor Javier Sanso were triggered. An aerial
inspection of his position, which was 500 miles west of Madeira and 360
miles south of the Azores island of Sao Miguel, found Sanso in his liferaft
next to his capsized boat. A rescue of Sanso was proceeding at press time.

Also dealing with troubles was Tanguy de Lamotte, some 440 miles to the SW
of the Cape Verde islands, who had hit something in the water which damaged
his rudder, daggerboard and daggerboard casing. His starboard rudder is
broken and his port daggerboard is crushed, jammed in the daggerboard
casing whilst it and some cracks around it are letting in water.

“The daggerboard took the first of the impact, it is completely tilted back
and cracked the daggerboard case, explained Tanguy. “There is water
entering the boat. I have been going slowly since and that allows me to
limit the amount of water which comes in, especially protecting the boat’s
electrics. The situation is under control but it is vital that I remove the
daggerboard so I can plug the holes.”

Rhode Island – and specifically, Fort Adams State Park – is well-positioned to host large marine events after seamlessly executing the America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) last summer, according to the Large Marine Events Benefits Assessment Modeling Report by Planning Decisions, Inc. and Charles Colgan, Ph.D., University of Southern Maine.

The report had a two-fold purpose: first, to analyze the fiscal impact of the ACWS, and second, to act as a learning tool for the state to better host comparable large marine events in the future. The feedback came from a random survey of visitors on all nine practice and racing days in the public areas of Fort Adams, resulting in a test field of 1,260 valid responses.

“Hosting the America’s Cup races last summer was a great source of pride for Rhode Islanders,” said Governor Lincoln D. Chafee. “The Large Marine Events report shows that our beautiful state is the perfect setting for these types of events, and we look forward to using the feedback outlined in the study to make future events even better and more frequent.”

Hosting these types of events has a far-reaching impact on the state. The immediate economic impact resulted in approximately:

  • $38.2 million for Rhode Island businesses
  • 345 jobs with an income of $12 million
  • $2.5 million in general state tax revenue

Revenue came from four main sources: visitors who came to watch the event, organizers and sponsors who set up and operated the event, racing teams competing in the event, and media covering the event.

The event attracted 65,000 total spectators during the four-day compressed racing period, with over 7,300 first-time visitors to Newport. Of those visitors surveyed, the majority said they were “very likely” to return. This response indicates a lasting positive increase in Rhode Island tourism. In all, visitors – first-time and repeat – came from 600 unique zip codes in 41 states and 18 countries. The report found that the size of the visiting party and length of stay increased with the distance traveled. Therefore, marketing to travelers further away will have a great fiscal impact on the area during future events.

“There was nothing quite like seeing the throngs of people lining both sides of the East Passage enjoying the spectacular America’s Cup World Series races,” said Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit. “Fort Adams State Park offered a world-class venue for this event, and the natural resources of Rhode Island provided the power and the beauty that put it over the top. Using our state parks to host tens of thousands of visitors to enjoy a day on our coast is exactly what DEM hopes to continue to do.”

To accommodate this type of event, the state of Rhode Island, the city of Newport, the America’s Cup Event Authority, the America’s Cup Race Management and the America’s Cup World Series Host Committee prepared for over a year to ensure the adequate infrastructure and organization was in place to support the event. Included were permanent, public infrastructure improvements at Fort Adams that not only benefited those attending the ACWS but will continue to benefit Rhode Island residents and visitors for years to come, as well as position the venue to compete for similar, world-class events in the future.

“Through our partnership with our legislative leadership and the executive office of the State of Rhode Island, Sail Newport continues to move forward with the improvements to Fort Adams and its marine facilities to support public access to Narragansett Bay and to provide the infrastructure for world class sailing events at the Sail Newport Sailing Center,” said Brad Read, Rhode Island’s America’s Cup World Series Host Committee Chairman and Executive Director of Sail Newport. “We had our successes, and we certainly have things we could do better next time. I look forward to working with this same wonderful team on future events!”

Survey feedback indicates several areas of improvement, with the majority relating to concessions, information and marketing, transportation and parking, and coordination with local businesses. The report concludes that, given the unknowns of hosting this event for the first time, organizers should be proud of hosting a successful event.

CONCERT OR REGATTA?

America’s Cup Partners with Live Nation to Present 2013 America’s Cup Concert Series in San Francisco

America’s Cup Pavilion Set to Open on Piers 27/29
World-renowned Musician Sting to Perform on June 2

The America’s Cup and Live Nation are proud to present the America’s Cup Concert Series at the America’s Cup Pavilion, located between Piers 27/29. The America’s Cup Pavilion will host multiple events in the summer of 2013 in San Francisco’s first outdoor, waterfront concert venue.

Sting © Kevin Mazur
Sting, the multi-Grammy award winning musician is the first headline act to be announced. Tickets for the concert, part of the critically acclaimed Back to Bass world tour, will go on sale beginning Friday, February 22nd at 10am at Ticketmaster.com. Additional events will be announced throughout the concert season that runs through October.

The America’s Cup Concert Series is a major live entertainment initiative in support of the America’s Cup Park on the Embarcadero, intended to create a vibrant, public space with a full range of activities for sailors and non-sailors alike.

The new, temporary, 9,000 seat venue will be centered in the America’s Cup Park on Piers 27/29 and will host a wide range of events including concerts, family shows, community and business events, comedy, as well as America’s Cup race activities and viewing sessions.

The America’s Cup Park at Piers 27/29 on the Embarcadero is the center of event activities during the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco. This is where fans will find team bases, interactive exhibits, food and beverage courts, as well as shops featuring their favorite team gear. This is also the place to come on race days for the Dock-In and Dock-Out shows, as well as team and guest hospitality.

The America’s Cup Concert Series will run throughout the summer of 2013 and coincide with the Louis Vuitton Cup (the America’s Cup Challenger Series), the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup and the America’s Cup Finals.

“The America’s Cup is one of the world’s great sporting events and by partnering with Live Nation we can create a fun atmosphere with both entertainment and educational opportunities in the family-friendly environment of the America’s Cup Park,” said Stephen Barclay, CEO of the 34th America’s Cup. “San Francisco’s storied music history is part of the fabric of this great community and we plan to continue to celebrate music and culture as part of the America’s Cup.”

“We’re honored to partner with an event as prestigious as the America’s Cup to bring an exciting new entertainment venue to San Francisco,” said Jodi Goodman, President of Live Nation Northern California. “An outdoor venue in the City of San Francisco is long overdue. The America’s Cup Park will truly add to our rich San Francisco culture and bring more value to our City and its waterfront.”

The stage and seating on Piers 27/29 will allow America’s Cup organizers to host a range of both ticketed and non-ticketed events. In addition to a full music line-up, the amphitheatre will offer daytime shows featuring educational topics themed around the America’s Cup and race viewing opportunities on a large screen.

Construction is set to begin in spring of 2013 with the first events anticipated by mid-May 2013 and running through October 2013.