Back from the high seas - for now...

Well it has been a very busy couple of months, what with sponsor hunting and speaking.

Sponsor hunting is the hardest thing in this game. Even though we believe we have a great proposal (and keep getting told so) with great benefits for a sponsor, one of the most frustrating things that I keep hearing is 'We love the campaign and we have the funds, but we can't be seen to be spending it!' So frustrating for us.

I will be giving a talk at RORC in London on the 21st of this month to a select bunch of city high flyers. Organised by Michelle from Dream Sailing, the idea is to try and find a major sponsor for the campaign, then we can at least get the boat built in time for us to start the long process of getting the boat prepared and up to speed before the race.

For the last 2 weeks I have been speaking onboard P&O Ventura about my life racing and the future campaigns I have planned. While many guest speakers only manage a couple of dozen people in the audience, we were regularly filling the theatre with several hundred people with only standing room at the back and sides.

We know that there is a lot of interest in the campaign from the general public, but we need to secure the main funding.

Racing around the world is the easy bit - getting to the start line is the hard part!

Right race, right boat, right time...

If ever there was a race that was ‘of the moment’ then the Global Ocean Race must be it. It is a race for Class 40 yachts around the world double handed. The Class 40 represents a development in yacht design that allows sailors to achieve incredible speeds for a fraction of the cost of the Open 60’s. Although obviously not as fast, the smaller Class 40 costs about 1/10^th that of the Open 60 allowing the class to grow very quickly. Already they have proven themselves in many major offshore races, beating much bigger boats time and again. Even though the Global Ocean Race is relatively new, the first race in 2008/9 attracted almost 30 million hits on its website even though there were only 5 boats racing. The next race plans to do much better, already with 15 entries from 11 countries, there is also plan to run a ‘virtual race’ online.

Alex Alley is lucky enough to have an entry in the Global Ocean Race 2011/12. Starting in Mallorca next September, Alex and co-skipper David Thomson will race against an international fleet around the planet, stopping in Cape Town, Wellington, Punta del Este and Charleston before finishing back in Mallorca in 2012, some 8 months later. For Alex and the team however the race has already begun; the race just to get to the start line. In order to help with the funding of the campaign, Alex set up the People’s Boat campaign, which allows anybody to become a sponsor and have their picture on the hull (see www.peoplesboat.com). Already attracting attention, Alex has been asked to bring the boat to Liverpool and have it on display in the centre of the city’s biggest shopping centre during the new Liverpool boatshow next year. ‘We have had several meetings now with the directors of Liverpool One and we are now just working on the logistics of putting a Class 40 in a shopping centre in the middle of town. It will certainly draw the public’s attention’ commented Alex.

‘We have been talking with several potential major sponsors and also working with charities such as the RNLI as the plan is to sell the boat after the race and donate all the proceeds to charity. It would be great to be able to generate a significant amount and we have our target set on £300,000, but we need everyone’s help to achieve it.’

For Alex the Global Ocean Race is not the end of the story... ‘I am already planning two other projects for when we return, both sailing world records. One is a new record and another is an existing record which we believe we can beat by some margin.’ More details will be released once a sponsor has been found.

Go to www.peoplesboat.com to sign up and put your logo/picture on the hull of the yacht.

At last - a start port is announced

Finally the start port for the 2011/12 Global Ocean Race has been announced by the organisers - and it is.................. Mallorca.

Already there are 14 confirmed entries from 10 countries.

Nico Budel Holland

Patrice Carpentier France

Alex Alley UK

To Be Announced* USA

To Be Announced* UK

Michel Kleinjans Belgium

Jacques Fournier France

BT Boats New Zealand

To Be Announced* Austria

Conrad Colman New Zealand

Marco Nannini Italy

Hannah Jenner UK

Lenjohn van der Wel Bahamas

Adrian Kutell South Africa

Also the host ports are now all signed up.

Leg Starts:

Leg 1 (7400 miles) 25th September 2011 Mallorca - Cape Town, RSA

Leg 2 (7500 miles) 27th November 2011 Cape Town – Wellington, NZ

Leg 3 (6100 miles) 29th January 2012 Wellington – Punta del Este, Uruguay

Leg 4 (6000 miles) 1st April 2012 Punta del Este – Charleston, USA

Leg 5 (4200 miles) 20th May 2012 Charleston – Mallorca

The official website for the race, which received over 30 million hits during the last race will be improved again for this race. An interactive virtual online game is planned to run alongside the actual race which can attract huge numbers of followers - you can race against us in real time, only you will get the chance to sleep and eat properly as well as have some dry clothes to wear - but where is the fun in that eh?

I will be over in Cowes this week from Wednesday so hope to see a few people over there.

A

Not sailing but out on the water!

Well for the last week I have been kayaking down the Thames, from the source to the sea - at least from the first navigable bit anyway.

Saturday 17th with the kayaks in the back of a white van, we drove to Cricklade, just the other side of Swindon, and were dropped off in a little car park to begin the adventure. At that point the Thames really is just a small stream a few inches deep. Never having been in a kayak before the first thing that became very obvious was how unstable they are! It wasn't very long before the inevitable happened and Paula hit a tree and capsized, dropping the camera in the process and filling the kayak up with water. By now the water was about 4' deep and luckily we managed to find the camera, which is waterproof so that was fine - however one of the dry bags leaked and money and phone was now dripping wet. Mobile phones don't like the water so that was the end of that one...
We paddled on to a pub for a drink and some food, and to dry off and warm up. An hour or so later we continued on our way, only to bump into four guys in two inflatable canoes looking for somewhere to camp for the weekend. They offered us some wine and we joined them as they made a fire, which helped us warm up some more. Rather surprisingly, two of them knew the owner of one of the kayaks we had borrowed - what a small world we live in!

After about 11 miles paddling we arrived at Lechlade and camped for the night. Arms and shoulders not feeling too bad, but we knew we had to push on more if we were to make Teddington by the end of the week.

Sunday was the Fairford airshow and on the river we had front row seats, with Tornado's, Vulcan bomber and a B52 all flying low overhead - fantastic. By now the river was getting wider and with less weed so we could paddle easier, however we were surprised that there was virtually no flow to the river. We were expecting a knot or two to help us along, but if we stopped paddling then we really did stop. This meant that we would have to paddle harder and push on for the next 150 miles.

Lots of wildlife and hundreds of swans kept us company as we made our way along, taking in the sights from the river. Wild camping when we could, or asking locals if there was nowhere obvious to pitch a tent. One evening as we paddled through Abingdon, I got chatting to a chap in the local sailing club (Abey sailing club) and he kindly offered to let us camp on the lawn in front of the club house. He also let us use the facilities there and we had our first shower for 5 days.

Determined to paddle all the way along the river, we decided to go through the locks, all 42 of them, rather than carry the kayaks around them. Each lock had it's own appeal with the keepers tending their gardens with care. Fabulous houses with immaculate lawns reaching down to the river - one wonders who actually owns such properties (and if they would be interested in sponsoring the People's Boat!)

Finally we made it through Teddington lock and onto the tidal section of the Thames, which proved to be not as daunting as we suspected. Timing now was critical as we had to make Putney before the tide turned, which in the end was not too difficult.

150 miles paddled in 7 1/2 days, averaging 20 miles a day. A great experience if you ever need one. A good challenge, but I felt if was a little less challenging than the 200 mile coast to coast walk we did last year.

Back now on the campaign trail, off to Cowes next week racing a Figaro, and talking to lots more sponsors.

A

The official Wight Vodka press release

13th July 2010 – Wight Vodka Teams with Alex Alley & David Thomson in their Global Ocean Race Campaign

Cowes, England

Competing in the Global Ocean Race takes determination, intellect, ego and attitude. It also takes money!

Alex Alley and David Thomson are the co-skippers of their Class 40 yacht, which they will race around the world in the Global Ocean Race from September 2011. Over the next 14 months, they will be preparing themselves and their yacht for the rigors of the 30,000 mile circumnavigation. Both Alex and David have many regattas, trans-atlantics and circumnavigations under their belts, and this time they’re determined to share the experience with as many individual and corporate sponsors as they can.

“It’s great to have the Wight Vodka brand onboard our Global Ocean Race campaign!” said Alex Alley, skipper of the Class 40 yacht. “Wight Vodka’s gained such an incredible following within the British yachting scene in a very short time, and to have their support is totally welcomed. We’ve agreed with Ritu and her team at 50 North that the next five sponsors who contribute £150 or more to our campaign will receive a bottle of Wight in return. How great is that!?”

Scheduled to start in September 2011, the Global Ocean Race will follow the same route raced by the yachts competing in the 2008-09 event. Starting in France, the race stops in Cape Town, South Africa, Wellington, New Zealand, Punta del Este, Uruguay and Charleston, USA before finishing back in France, a total of over 30,000 nautical miles.

“Working with Alex and David on this project is exhilarating,” said Ritu Manocha, owner of 50 North, the company behind the Wight Vodka brand. “Their enthusiasm and competitive spirit go hand-in-hand with the Wight Vodka brand, and we can’t wait to see them cross the start (and finish!) line in next year’s race. We encourage our Wight Vodka fans to support their efforts, and follow them online from September 2011.”

About Alex Alley & David Thomson’s Campaign
A unique opportunity for you and your business to raise its profile, the People’s Boat campaign is created to allow our sponsors to track our progress as we circumnavigate the globe from 2011 to 2012. Your branding will be on our hull for the three years of the campaign, and you will be entered into regular draws to win a chance of sailing with us. And now in collaboration with Wight Vodka, for a select few who provide sponsorship of £150 or more, you will receive a bottle of Wight Vodka in return. For more information please visit www.peoplesboat.com.

About 50 North
50 North are the creators of Wight Vodka. The company’s spirit and enthusiasm for the ocean, coupled with the centuries-old regatta traditions of the Isle of Wight (and of course a full appreciation of superior vodka!) culminated in the creation of the world’s smoothest, 42% ABV potato-based vodka. One sip of Wight Vodka will make a believer out of the most discerning connoisseur, and the company welcomes your joining a unique and elite class. www.wightvodka.com. Tack & Gybe Responsibly.

Wight Vodka sign up as sponsors

The People's Boat are pleased to announce that UK based Wight Vodka have signed up as a bronze sponsor and their logo is already up on the virtual boat on the People's Boat website.

Claim your FREE bottle of Wight Vodka:

In order to say thank you to other sponsors, the first 5 people/companies spending £150 or more on squares on the People's Boat will receive a FREE bottle of Wight Vodka (must be over 18 and based in the UK). All you have to do is goto the People's Boat website and click on 'Buy Pixels' then simply follow the instructions onscreen to upload your image, then you can pay through Paypal or with a credit card, or email us at sales@peoplesboat.com.

A few facts about Wight Vodka:

1. Wight Vodka is distilled seven times, which is definitely over the top, but produces ultra pure spirit.
2. Rumour has it that the day after isn't that bad due to the distillation process!
3. It's the only vodka I can take straight up or on the rocks like a great Scotch
4. It's based on potato spirit, which is inherently smoother than 99% of the other vodkas that are made from grain spirit.
5. The team at 50 North are totally committed to the yachting scene, and it's great to have their support!

As well as Wight Vodka, there are several other notable sponsors including Bath Sailing Club and Eventus.

There will be a press release shortly as well as a copy of the article going out in 'Prime Location' magazine which has a circulation of over 1.2m subscribers.

Watch this space...

South American Stop Over confirmed

In the mid-1980s, Punta del Este, Uruguay, was the South American stopover port for the fully-crewed Whitbread Round the World Race and in the following decade, solo sailors in the BOC Challenge pulled into the port at the end of their brutal Southern Ocean leg from Australia. The Global Ocean Race 2011-12 (GOR) can now confirm that Punta del Este is the South American stopover port at the end of the 6,000+ mile Leg 3 from Wellington, New Zealand. The stopover will be hosted by the Uruguay Ministry of Tourism, with the fleet to be based at the prestigious Yacht Club Punta del Este (YCPE).

For Dr. Hector Lescano, Uruguayan Minister of Tourism, the GOR stopover is an exciting prospect. “It is a great honour that this international event has chosen Punta del Este as the South American stopover,” confirms Lescano. “Our national and local authorities are working together to support and coordinate the event and ensure that all requirements for the Race Organisation and racing teams are in place,” he continues.

Located at the southern tip of Uruguay on the northern shore of the Río de la Plata, the South Atlantic port of Punta del Este is an overwhelmingly attractive prospect for round the world race teams. The town is a very popular resort for international holiday makers with the deserved reputation of being the ‘St. Tropez of Uruguay’. With a network of global flight connections for the GOR crews, their teams, friends and families, miles of pristine beaches and a cosmopolitan and relaxed atmosphere throughout the city, there could be no better place for the teams to relax and recuperate after the exacting demands of the Southern Ocean and Cape Horn.

The nature of the GOR Leg 3 demands that the South American stopover provides the vital services required for carrying out checks, maintenance and repairs to the racing yachts following 6,000 miles of hard sailing through high latitudes. The choice of the Yacht Club Punta del Este as the GOR base is ideal with the vastly experienced team at the YCPE capable of supplying all facilities from an essential travel lift to fibreglass work and a comprehensive range of skilled specialists.

Commodore of the Yacht Club Punta del Este, Horacio Garcia Pastori, has been an enthusiastic advocate of bringing the Global Ocean Race to his Club. “We have a long history of hosting round the world yacht races and it is with great pleasure that we will be welcoming the organisers and the brave sailors of the Global Ocean Race to our Club,” he commented.

In addition to the world class yacht racing facilities at the YCPE, the clubhouse can also provide accommodation; an exclusive restaurant with a decked balcony overlooking the River Plate; the Recalada Bar - renowned for mixing the best cocktails in town - and the atmospheric and famous Sailors’ Bar.

Race Director, Josh Hall, has personal reasons to be delighted by this announcement. “Having visited Punta del Este as a solo racer in the 1990-91 BOC Challenge, I know first-hand just how welcoming the Yacht Club Punta del Este members and the people of this remarkable city are,” says Hall. “Excellent facilities, fabulous people and a perfect geographic location combine to make Punta del Este a dream stopover for the Global Ocean Race 2011-12, where sailors and sponsors alike will enjoy a very unique experience at every level,” he continues. “We would like to thank The Ministry of Tourism and our long-standing friends at the Yacht Club Punta del Este for granting us this exciting opportunity to bring a highly competitive round the world yacht back to their shores.”