More details and forum at www.RG650europe.com

The Global Ocean Race (GOR), one of sailing’s greatest challenges, is to receive a major boost for its third round-the-world event for Class40 yachts, now scheduled to start in September 2014. – This is brilliant news for Richard Hewson and hewsonracing, as it means that there will be absolutly no conflict between the Mini Transat and GOR!

“I have recieved little feedback so far from possible sponsors for the GOR, so the delayed start gives me more time to prepair for the GOR and also allows me to focus on the 2013 Mini Transat. Full focus will now be given to the 2013 Mini Transat, while sponsorship proposals are still open for my Global Ocean Race in 2014” Says Richard (Check out the sponsorship proposals at www.hewsonracing.com)
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Organisers of the Class40 Association-endorsed race announced today that in order to raise its profile and bring it the attention the event deserves, they have taken three important steps:

• Brought in a team of experts in media, ocean racing promotion and marketing
• Expanded the number of classes in the race, so that entries can now be single-handed, two-handed or fully-crewed
• Delayed the start by one year to take full advantage of the new arrangements

Meanwhile, they have agreed a number of sponsorship deals for the event and can already confirm a strong entry interest from at least eight solid Class40 projects.

“We have successfully completed two Class40 round-the-world races,” said Josh Hall, the GOR Race Director and CEO, “but we believe it is time for the race to fully evolve. To that end, we have created a new management structure bringing in some of the most experienced people in media, sponsorship and the marketing of a truly global yacht racing event. To permit our new team the appropriate timeframe to realise the planned levels of media and funding, we have decided to delay the race until 2014.”

Hall says that the new team’s aim is to make round-the-world ocean racing more accessible. “Our boats cost a fraction of those in the other major ocean races, opening up the thrill and adventure of sailing at speed through the Southern Ocean to a whole new generation of skippers and crew,” explains Hall. “In times of recession, I believe this will attract both aspiring ocean sailors and fully-experienced yachtsmen. Our boats now regularly average the speeds that Maxi Yachts in the Whitbread were doing just over a decade ago. It offers the best of sailing on a budget that many more can afford. Crucially, it also allows sponsors, who have been leaving the sport due to the massive costs, to return.”

Central to the new organisation will be a Steering Board, created to boost the organisation that supports the event. Members include a top TV producer who has overseen Olympic coverage for the BBC among others; a former CEO of three major broadcasting organisations; a leading public relations professional; a specialist in sponsorship fund raising and management and a commercial director with extensive international experience. Four of the five have already been contracted and each has considerable experience in ocean racing promotion, marketing and media coverage. The names of the Board and full details of the changes will be released in the New Year.

“These appointments bring one of the sport’s most experienced and successful teams to the GOR and justify our delaying the start of the race,” added Hall.

From the skippers planning to race, the overall reaction has been supportive. “For the Celox Sailing Team, the rescheduling is a welcome opportunity for further training and refinement and we are delighted to hear of the new weight brought into the organisation,” said Akilaria Class40 Gust Buster skipper, Gottfried Possl.

Richard Hewson is very excited with the announcement as not only will it give team hewsonracing (insert sponsors name here) but it will also enable all the boats to receive even better media coverage and hence increase the ROI for sponsors of the race.

“The main aim for hewsonracing is to give sponsors maximum return for their investment, and with a team of professionals marketing the race, combined with the sponsors own promotion the PR value of the sponsorship will be priceless”.

For information on how to sponsor Richard Hewson in the Mini Transat or GOR follow the links on the sponsorship page of hewsonracing, download the powerpoint, and contact Richard for a personal presentation on +61459467558 or hewsonracing@gmail.com

Audi Showdown: Countback decides Farr 40 winner

Peter Campbell, RYCT

Posted: 4 Nov. 2012

Wired’s win came down to the wire – Dane Lojek pic

A countback of placings over eight races was needed to decide the winner of the Farr 40 class in the Audi Showdown which ended on Hobart’s River Derwent yesterday.

The race literally went down to the wire, with Wired (Stephen Boyes) taking the honours with four wins as against three by Voodoo Chile (Andrew Hunn).

With both boats stacked with top line sailors, the competition between the two was intense from the very start of today’s three short windward/leeward courses.

Among the crew of Wired was Richard Hewson, who skippered the Australian yacht Gold Coast to victory in the Clipper Round the World Race early this year, winning a record number of legs?

“I had a great time racing on Wired over the weekend and I can have a hot shower straight after the racing,” quipped the round-the-world skipper who spent many days at sea in the Clipper Race. “And I think I’ve been on a winner in Wired.”

Two other Clipper Race crew members, Tasmanian Gina Gourlay and British yachtsman Barry Chamberlain, also raced in the Showdown, aboard Don Calvert’s Intrigue in Division 1. Gina sailed on Gold Coast in the Clipper Race, Barry on the Scottish yacht Edinburgh.

Well-known Farr 40 sailor and sailmaker Richard Allanson was aboard Voodoo Chile.

Voodoo Chile won the first two races in this morning’s light sou’easter to throw out a strong challenge to Wired. In the final race, the two-boat duel saw Wired get the gun by just 27 seconds.

Wired’s regatta series score was 1-1-1-(3)-3-2-2-1; Voodoo Chile’s (2)-2-2-1-2-1-1-2.

Third place in all three races today went to War Games (Wayne Banks-Smith) finished on 22 points with POW (Craig Clifford) on 25 points.

The close one-design racing between the local fleet of Farr 40s over this weekend’s Audi Showdown is an indication of what can be expected when they are joined by at least four Farr 40s from the Sydney fleet for the Tasmanian championship in Hobart in early January 2013.

The SB20s and Farr 40s certainly showed what one-design racing was all about at the Audi Showdown.

Ten boat contested the SB20 class with State champion Nick Rogers sailing Toll to victory in all but two of the races.

It was an outstanding performance by Rogers, the former prominent Dragon class helmsman, and must auger well for the RYCT member’s prospects in the SB20 world championship at Hamilton Island in December.

Rogers’ only falter was a 9th in the fickle breeze of the first race today , but he followed this with two more wins, the last by just four second from Hypertronics, skippered by Steve Catchpool.

Overall, Toll notched up a net 8 points with Brainwave (Scott Brain) second on a distant 21 points, followed by Nest Property (Peter Copeland) on 26 points and Hypertronics on 28 points.

Other race winners in the SB20 class were Wicked (Andrew Blakney) and Brainwave