This is an issue that I believe all sailors are wrestling with. Sailing is such a small community, perhaps it is the thought that we are concerned about how sailing will survive two distinct camps, amateur and professional. Rod Davis has addressed the concerns, identifying the issue.
There is no question in my mind that the two events: the extreme 40 tour and the America’s cup are “shows” and are taking the sport in a different direction. We must recognize that it took a long time to get where we are and there is no stopping events.
THE BIGGEST QUESTION OF ALLBy Rod Davis, SeahorseThe show versus the competition. There is a new breed of regatta that Icall the ‘show’, because they have stepped into that murky bog thatseparates competition from theatre. The Extreme 40 and America’s Cup WorldSeries are the leaders in ‘show’ regattas, and if you believe everythingyou read in the media you could be forgiven for thinking that this is theway of all sailboat racing. Thankfully the vast majority of regattas areall about the competition.
To distinguish between the two, just answer this one simple question: whois the regatta run for? If your answer is the sailors, you have a regatta,if your answer is the sponsors, TV and the general public, then you have ashow.
It all sounds so wonderful. Get some sponsors to pay for regattas aroundthe world and for our sailing, then we can pay all our expenses and payourselves too. It will be like getting money for jam. The sponsors want tomaximise their exposure, so we seduce the media and the public!
Nice concept, but never forget this is a business deal… your sponsor willwant his pound of flesh and more. You have now entered the entertainmentbusiness. You might not think of it that way but your new boss certainlydoes. You will perform on their terms, not yours.
In the new world order of show regattas, sponsors’ ROI, TV airtime andengaging the public are the prime targets. Fact: the yachting fraternity issimply too small to justify the big money it takes to run events like theAmerica’s Cup World Series, or to participate in them. Just too small abase. Thus the need, and recent obsession, with taking yachting to themasses.
Many have tried, and few have been successful. The leaders are the Extreme40 series, the Volvo Round the World Race and, new to the scene but withBIG ideas, the AC World Series. The game plan is pretty basic: give thesponsors a viable return on their investment. The bigger the sponsorshipthe bigger the payback will have to be.
And how do you do that? Make it spectator friendly and exploit the magic oftelevision. And that, my friends, is a tough nut to crack.
It’s all about getting on TV. Sailboat racing is not a mainstream sport, sogetting a prime time slot is not easy. More like almost impossible. Youneed WOW factor. But if you can get airtime, get on the evening news aroundthe world, then it is fantastic exposure and free! Capsizes, great bigcollision – all good. Drama at sea – yep. Race results by themselves -nope, won’t make it to the airwaves.
Another emerging medium is live telecasts via the internet. Far cheaperthan TV but reaching people who actively seek out the event. Making onehand wash the other is part of the new world of professional sailing.
If you thought professional was just about being paid to sail… sorry; intoday’s world it has become all encompassing. The Coutts vision is a whollyprofessional take on our sport. Not just paying a few sailors, but ahundred people on the payroll to run all aspects of the event. Then buyenough powerboats to fill a marina to serve as marks, TV camera platforms,press boats, tents, cranes, the list is endless. We are talking big moneyhere, which comes from people or companies who want serious entertainmentto justify their investment.
When a sport or a section of a sport, any sport, dives across the line thatdistinguishes amateur, with foundations built on volunteering, andprofessionalism, then you are in for some interesting times. — Read on:http://forum.sailingscuttlebutt.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=12691——–
