Powerboat racing & sponsorship

[cfun]

It seams not only for the small local race classes, but the larger racecraft in the P1 series are having difficulty with gaining enough sponsorship to do a seasons racing...with Ocean dragon looking at new initiative ways to gain funding and Arpro in spite of their success still unable to pull in the sponsor's, Jackie and Mike's article in the daily express kida sums up how desperate the situation is when as they point out many other sports gain the sort of money they require, as pocket money, just as a thought years back (when I raced) I used to buy motor sport mag's to see who the sponsors on the cars were...now sky tv, as these large company's just might have a bit of spare cash to throw powerboating's way as they were already involved in motorsport, it did work we did have some intrest, it was more the fact of requiring a new boat that stopped us!!! Jackie and Mikes article http://www.extremeboat.com/Press/new...scutting41.htm

[robbie]

Jackie and Mike, Drew and Jan, Steve Curtis, they truly deserve to be household names in this country by now. World Champions and leaders in their sport, yet most ‘Brits’ don’t know who they are.
If they hit or kicked a ball then they would be able to demand all the sponsorship needed like that tosser Tim Henman who has made millions out of being a World Champion joke, and then there’s the Beckham duo with a similar string of successes behind them.
The main reason is that the World leading ‘asrseoles’ this country produces are on our tele’s so much. If the BBC and ITV fought over the rights to screen P1 or Class1 like they do over F1 and the Premier football league thing would be very different, plus you can’t put up camera towers around a P1 circuit as easily as you can a race track or stadium.
When this is then added to us now living in the decade of the carbon footprint and the Global warming drum thumpers it seems to get worse. Years ago people putting leaflets on the screens of 4X4’s and spouting off about the wrongs of driving motor vehicles were called nutters and ignored accordingly. Today they are given a voice and worse still listened too. The inevitable out come is now that we pay more for all this over dependency on this new World evil and consequently get over taxed on it to boot.
We have scientists telling us that the World has been turning hot and cold in 200 years cycles for millions of years, and that we are being lied to; but there is still a lot of money to be made out of this yet so expect more of the same I suppose.
What this country needs is a representative to stand up and say enough of all this bollox were is this country succeeding despite the lack of funding and then wholeheartedly celebrate it, take the drums and gongs off the nutters and bang out a new tune.

“Let’s stop celebrating our tossers and start recognising our winners.”

[Ben]

An excellent and well reasoned post.

Hear hear Robbie!

[Rupert Munro]

Was there a reason ARPRO didnt want to sponsor again? Surely they must have had a lot of good publicity/corporate days out or do you think that its just not viable for a company to do 2 seasons?

[Jon Fuller]

I *think* that ARPRO as a company were more interested in the Corporate Hospitality they would get through the sponsorship deal, than the advertising coverage.

I can only guess that the Corporate bit didn't cut the mustard, as they certainly couldn't complain about the teams success, or media coverage that the success brought/Team ARPRO went and got.

[cfun]

Ironic, after posting on Sat. noticed P1 racing most of the evening on solent tv channel 219 on SKY, then on Sunday while having a lazy afternoon at Starbucks coffee bar in Borders, I read an interesting article in rubberwear monthly...ie rib international mag. about Neil Holmes powerboat school, seams he went out with Jackie and Mike for a run in Arpro, the fuel bill was £1600, nearly fell of the chair made my hugely expensive sandwich and coffee seam a bargin, cant believe our American friends run twin 525 engines just for pleasure in their boats, next time I put £40 in mine I will consider it a bargin!!!

[Mikey]

Originally Posted by cfun

Ironic, after posting on Sat. noticed P1 racing most of the evening on solent tv channel 219 on SKY, then on Sunday while having a lazy afternoon at Starbucks coffee bar in Borders, I read an interesting article in rubberwear monthly...ie rib international mag. about Neil Holmes powerboat school, seams he went out with Jackie and Mike for a run in Arpro, the fuel bill was £1600, nearly fell of the chair made my hugely expensive sandwich and coffee seam a bargin, cant believe our American friends run twin 525 engines just for pleasure in their boats, next time I put £40 in mine I will consider it a bargin!!!

Not to mention being stopped for speeding when using the green 6 knot marker at the entrance to the Itchen as a turning buoy when testing

It's not quite that expensive ... 300 litres per hour

The main reason ARPRO were not doing another year is that the motor industry (manufacturers at least) do not allow their staff to attend hospitality .. this was a change in 2006 so as Jon rightly said, if they can't take people to the hospitality, why do the sponsorship.

I think they were pretty happy with everything else which is why it's such a shame

[cfun]

Forgot to say The Neil Holmes article, I thought was very good, when I used to watch offshore in the late 80's always amired how effortlessly his boat seamed to run, never looking that quick but in the end he nearly always won calm or rough, he made it look easy...my favorite was the showdown between Neil and Micheal Frode two guys that built there engines and then raced. Jackie throtled the Dragon fantasticly at Cowes last year after a stint with Neil, the guy sure seams to know how to get the best out of people...also cheers Mike (Arpro) for a few pointers when me and a friend met you at the Royal motor (brass monkey)

[ForTwo]

Sponsorship is also hard 2 find in our small country, have read the article and understand Jacky & Mike, we feel the same frustration...all goes to soccer and cycling. For example: Kinda hard when you see a Belgian TV host joining Paris - Dakkar for the 5th time and always end last, there's not 1 single spot left for a sponsorpatch on he's raceoverall. We have contacted over 300 multinationals and always getting the same answer ( no budget - not interested in motorsports - only sponsoring charity goals) our new boat is nearly finished, looks like it will be wildcard only this season. knowing there's a venue in Belgium ( not official yet) we might get some media attention...starting again from there, we still try to get some funds. Life's not ending after P1 :-) we still got the basic races - attempting speed record 700 miles baltic sea - and HOOHOA, the red sea rally in Egypt.

[Mikey]

Very frustrating

Post a picture of your new boat ... Jon won't mind the occasional RIB

[Jon Fuller]

Originally Posted by Mikey

Very frustrating

Post a picture of your new boat ... Jon won't mind the occasional RIB

No, as long as it aint from Malta, we can suffer the odd tooob.

[ForTwo]

Originally Posted by Mikey

Very frustrating

Post a picture of your new boat ... Jon won't mind the occasional RIB

Builded in Cyprus Mike, i'm going to pick it up next week ( they are shipping to it Italy) Engines already arrived...gonna send some pic's when she's done.

Remeber the fountain 42ft....? well, you will hardly regornize it, looks like they will be ready aswell, no sponsorship eighter !! new engines from they're pocketmoney and totaly new canopy side by side. the old FOR1 crew will racing it.

greetz,
Gino

[Mikey]

Originally Posted by ForTwo

Builded in Cyprus Mike, i'm going to pick it up next week ( they are shipping to it Italy) Engines already arrived...gonna send some pic's when she's done.

Remeber the fountain 42ft....? well, you will hardly regornize it, looks like they will be ready aswell, no sponsorship eighter !! new engines from they're pocketmoney and totaly new canopy side by side. the old FOR1 crew will racing it.

greetz,
Gino

Great news ... will be nice to see that poor fountain rebuilt and running in Evolution ... should do well

[PHANTOM EVOLUTION]

i agree , i think jackie & mike both do a great job in there Dragon P1 boat, lets hope they land a sponsor soon to do it all again this year .