COVER STORY PINDAR by RUPERT HOLMES
Andrew Pindar has sponsored sailing for more than 30 years and there are few people in the field with more knowledge: “Over the years, having participated in offshore to inshore events, from 65ft yachts to small boats, we’ve been
involved in every aspect of sailing sponsorship, with teams, individuals, men, women and mixed crews. We got involved in part because we like the sport of sailing, but we remain involved because it creates business opportunity for us.”
Business value “Te leverage of our dollar in the AWMRT gives us a fabulous
return – as a sponsor it’s fantastic to be involved with something that’s so highly visible and well known, travels round the world and yet has costs that are under control, which is so important in today’s economic climate.” “Te strength of the Tour events is that sponsors know they can
leverage off each other – with the AWMRT the value of the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts. A good example of this is the STENA Match Cup Sweden. Although based in Dubai, our partner GAC (which is involved in shipping and logistics) is Swedish owned and STENA is a Swedish shipping company.” “Our involvement with the Tour means the senior management
of both companies know each other – it’s great reinforcement and an incredible event for us. Of course we’re really hoping that Ian will retain his title here, but whether we win or lose just attending the event is fantastic. Tere’s business being done, you’re meeting with like-minded people and the competition is fast, furious and fair.” “For other companies involved in the AWMRT, there is great
opportunity for them to derive more business and look for opportunity through the contacts that are made at events and all the publicity generated by the Tour.” “GAC has a big presence in south-east Asia, especially Malaysia
and Singapore, so that the last Monsoon Cup, they were winning a world title in their own backyard. Te media coverage for that carried on for hour after hour and day after day – there was so much we gave up counting the print and broadcast exposure in Malaysia. Tat one event, for the nature of GAC’s business, probably covered the cost of the whole of the Tour that year.” “We’re particularly excited that Alpari has come on board as title
sponsor – it raises the profile of the Tour further and brings more value back to the other sponsors. Te sport of sailing allows sponsors to be bigger fish in smaller ponds – I would certainly recommend it to any company that’s new to sponsorship, but you must engage a proper PR company and sports marketing agency – it’s vital to activate and leverage your campaign.”
About GAC Pindar Te company is pushing hard to become established as the place
to go for moving anything to do with the marine sport and leisure industry, whether containers, yachts or simply refuelling superyachts. It benefits from Pindar’s extensive knowledge of the boating and superyacht worlds and GAC’s fabulous global infrastructure.
MR360° May 2012 9 Joining the Alpari World
Match Racing Tour “As someone involved in sponsoring the world of sailing I was
invited to an event at the Royal Tames Yacht Club in London that was organised by the previous owners of the AWMRT. Tey approached professional sailing, and the value it can bring to sponsors, in a more professional way than I’d seen in offshore racing. You really had the feeling the AWMRT understood the business dynamic of giving value back to the teams and their sponsors.” “I then had the luxury of being invited to the St Moritz Match
Race as a guest of UBS, one of the sponsors at the time. It’s a fantastic event and there were some absolutely fabulous sailors competing. I already knew one of them, America’s Cup sailor Peter Holmberg, who was also a great friend of Mike (Moose) Sanderson who was sailing an Open 60 with Team Pindar at the time and who had travelled to Switzerland with me.” “Te skill, emotion and adrenaline in the dial-up and pre-start
really got my heart racing – the action that was taking place right in front of my eyes was incredible. While we were there Peter introduced me to Ian Williams, saying: ‘He’s potentially the next biggest thing in match racing.” “Ian had just given up his life as a corporate lawyer to do this full
time, so I thought: ‘Tat’s somebody who’s showing commitment and belief in his own ability,’ and I negotiated a deal with him. Since then, Ian has won the world title three times in the last five years.”
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