Yesterday I had the opportunity to talk at the Mercedes GP factory in Brackley to help launch the Brawn Lifeboat Challenge in aid of the RNLI.

The talk was given to 11 corporate teams, each charged with raising money for the RNLI to help fund a new boat on the Thames.

Using a mix of creativity and ingenuity the teams are challenged to turn £1000 into as much money as possible for the RNLI by 31st December. Whichever team raises the most net income will win the Brawn Lifeboat Challenge.

Teams there included Clifford Chance, Barclays, JP Morgan and John Lewis Partnership.

We will be involved with the campaign till the end in December and I will add updates as i get them.

Next speaking engagement is for the UK Sports Network in Ipswich on 14th April. The following day I sail out from Southampton as Guest Speaker on the cruise ship Arcadia, bound for St Maarten. I will be giving 8 talks on my racing career so far, including next years Global Ocean Race and the story behind the People's Boat campaign. A great chance to talk to a captive audience of 3000 wealthy people :-)

PHPR latest sponsor

PHPR is a UK-based results-driven on and offline PR agency. A wealth of B2B and ecommerce experience is behind the results they get for businesses. MD, Penny Haywood Calder, launched the world's first online bank in the mid 1980s, and have been online ever since, bringing a wealth of on and offline know-how. They regularly land clients on page one of the natural search results on Google. Yet remain a boutique agency: small, experienced and cost-effective, with no junior staff to fob you off with. Just top professionals personally driving your business forward.

This is what Penny has to say about herself and her company:

'I love getting results for clients, on and offline. I am a connector, seeing opportunities for people. Whether it's the news possibilities of a throw-away remark or a gem of a statistic buried in your data.
I launched the world's first online bank in 1985 and have been online ever since, so it's not surprising that we are very good at generating Google page one results for our clients. We haven't failed to get a page 1 result this year. And the results persist, sometimes for months.
We'll help you achieve your key business goals and can co-ordinate revamping your on and offline image and providing advanced media training before raising your profile to ensure that you get the maximum benefit from PR.
Although finance and IT have been constant sector themes throughout our client list, we get results for business-to-business companies and have worked with the professions, and in CCTV/security, property/ building, forestry, water, and industrial biotechnology sectors.
We take clients into new markets though our membership of PR Boutiques International (PRBI) (http://www.prboutiques.com), a network of small but highly experienced PR agencies around the world providing you with local savvy PR people on the ground .
I recently joined 4networking and am the voluntary marketing assistant for their Edinburgh Leith group. I'm also on the Edinburgh Fund-raising board for the Prince's Trust.
I'm a passionate advocate of Toastmasters International's public speaking and leadership skills training and I regularly speak to business groups on PR-related matters.
We are winners of various Communicators in Business UK and Scottish awards and are accredited through the Chartered Institute of Public Relations in the UK.
We have had an environmental policy since 1986 and have recently been shortlisted for a VIBES Scotland environmental award.'

http://www.phpr.co.uk/

People's Boat off to the Caribbean

Alex has just been confirmed as the Guest Speaker onboard a 2 week P&O cruise to the Caribbean in April.

Alex will give a series of 8 lectures on Ocean Racing, representing his country and the preparations for the People's Boat campaign.

'A great opportunity to talk to a captive audience of 3000 people.' Alex commented.

With talks now very advanced with a potential title sponsor for the campaign, things are getting very exciting. An existing boat is lined up to buy, and there is also the potential to have a new boat designed and built before the race.

'We have been talking to a leading Class 40 designer about the prospect of a new boat designed for us specifically for the Global Ocean Race - this is very exciting proposition indeed and we just need to get the funding in place first'

People's Boat to be on TV

I have been asked to talk at a sports conference on 14th April on the idea behind the People's Boat campaign and how, in a difficult financial market, it is still possible to raise sponsorship with a little ingenuity.

The event will be filmed and then go out on the 'Your Sport' program.

Details of the event itself can be found here. If you are interested in going you can pre register, although this event has not been officially announced yet you can still book early.

In the mean time I will be attending the solo/short handed sailing festival being held on Saturday at Southampton University. Other attendees going include Dee Caffari.

Might see you there?

Latest Sponsors

There has been an influx of new sponsors in the last couple of days.

Profile Development and Training is a work based training provider based in Kent. Their aim is to provide high quality training to both companies and individuals across Kent. They offer a range of qualifications including NVQ and Skills for Life as well as bespoke solutions.

Thanet District Council and Port of Ramsgate

Certainly one of the more unusual sponsors. Oak Fold Pedigree Highland Cattle is a small fold of highland cattle established in 1985. the best females are retired to the Oak Fold stock and bread to develop the bloodline. The animals are kept in a as natural a habitat as possible. See if you can find them on the boat!

We will certainly be the first boat to race around the world with Highland Cattle on board.

March Prize Draw winner

This months winner of the prize draw for a day out on the People's Boat class 40 is....

Richard Parson

Richard uploaded two pictures onto the hull of the boat of his two new born sons.

Little Ship Club

The Little Ship Club are now the latest sponsor of the People's Boat campaign.

Established in 1926, the Little Ship Club has a long tradition and a unique location on the North Bank of the River Thames in the heart of the City of London.

The modern clubhouse is the base for the club's shore-based activities, including a highly-regarded RYA training programme and many social events. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is the clubs President.

The club has always had two main objectives, social and educational. It provides those with a love of the sea and boats, both power and sail, with a place where they can meet and exchange ideas, and it also gives members the opportunity to learn navigation, seamanship and other skills.

Click on the link above, or the logo on the yacht on the People's Boat website to go to the Little Ship Club website