Yachting-Live

11th Hour Hunt For Money
Times are tense within Volvo Ocean Race HQ at present. While there are several strong teams lined up and rearing to go, others, including some yet to show their head above the parapet, are still struggling to make it to the start line with just seven months to go before the race kicks off from Alicante.

A recent team to emerge has been Carbon Challenge, who unlike the others has made the commitment to the race by formally entering, but are still beating on the door of board rooms to secure the necessary funding.

One aspect of this campaign not fully expressed in the initial press is simply the calibre of the people involved with it. As Tom Weaver who is co-ordinating the sailing team points out: “It is a big group and these are people I’ve worked with before mostly in the America’s Cup - they were some of the smartest and definitely the most talented guys in the AC, but who knew nothing about sailing when I met them.”

This is no idle banter. With Carbon Challenge operating out of a small office in Valencia, their advisory board includes Uwe Sasse whose career has been in the sports marketing and the sport fashion industry. Sasse founded and for the first year managed United Internet Team Germany. His wife Jacqueline is CEO and Commercial Director of the Carbon Challenge was once Commercial Director for Eurosport. It was she who acquired United Internet as the backer of the German Cup team. Her company subsequently won the contact to co-market Club Goleta the official guest hospitality programme for the 32nd America’s Cup.

Kiwi Brand Manager Gavin Brown (right), now Brand Manager for Carbon Challenge, has worked in the sailing and sports fashion industry, most notably for Line 7 where he came up with the Red Sock campaign for Team New Zealand in Auckland. For the 32nd America’s Cup he was Head of Licensing for ACM.

Involved on the periphery of Carbon Challenge is also former FIFA Marketing CEO and one time Alinghi General Manager Patrick Magyar.

Full article, another must-read, at The Daily Sail: thedailysail.com

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This entry was posted on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 at 9:10 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.