Penzance powerboats race cancelled in cash squeeze

[Chris Davies]

Powerboat racing will not be returning to Penzance in 2011 because of a shortage of funds.

The P1 Superstock event made its debut in Mount's Bay in 2010 and attracted 9,000 people.

Organisers had hoped to get £60,000 from Visit Cornwall towards the £120,000 cost of the May event.

Visit Cornwall said cuts in funding meant it could not support the event in 2011, but it may be funded in the future.

Funding 'challenge'

The event is the only one which Visit Cornwall had agreed not to fund in 2011said chief executive Malcolm Bell.

"There is a challenge in this current funding climate," he said.

Funding for Visit Cornwall from Conservative and Independent-controlled Cornwall Council had dropped by £230,000 to £1.2m in 2011/2012.

Mr Bell said funding for the powerboats could return after a review.

"We are working with Cornwall Council and the Cornwall Development Company on a comprehensive review of festivals and major events.

"We want to make sure that we are supporting the right events in 2012."

James Durbin, commercial director of P1 Superstock, said: "We would have loved to have been back there.

"It was our first event last year and we were very keen to launch the season again in Cornwall in 2011.

"We think that continuity would have created a greater economic impact for the area."

Mike Waters, chairman of Penzance Chamber of Commerce, said: "We feel gutted.

"Last year it attracted 9,000 people and Penzance is the ideal venue for it."

[Foolish]

Originally Posted by Chris Davies

£120,000"

.... what could you do with that Bob

[Scream-it.com]

[QUOTE=Chris Davies;200269]Powerboat racing will not be returning to Penzance in 2011 because of a shortage of funds.



God if ever there was a well full of bull**** it was sited in Old Marylebone Road!

But no organ grinder just a man with a very big bucket, a short rope and a team of lunatic disciples!

[JBP]

Originally Posted by Foolish

.... what could you do with that Bob

run nearly 8 years of the series with free entries to all !!!!!!!

the world some people live in

[RHINO]

what on earth do they want that amount of money for.We can put on a race for 4k including a crane

[Scream-it.com]

Originally Posted by RHINO

what on earth do they want that amount of money for.We can put on a race for 4k including a crane

I feel vindicated...some may remember my rants and raves -I feel qualified probably because I experienced the handover meeting at Honda HQ to F4SA and the planned £462,000 sponsorship + event money + entry fees. Just for 08.

How then do you end up with a zero series only two years after and when in the second year the funds were at around 50% from Honda...yes that's 2008 and 2009. I know it's boring most people here but if this was public money there would be an investigation!

As for P1 they seem to be following the example laid down by Curtis and his cronies! It's called the steamroller principle but eventually the cash runs out!

Humpty dumpty and all that!

[Barrie Williams]

This Coalition Government’s ‘Comprehensive Spending Review’, issued on the 20 October 2010, completely reformed the funding streams that offshore powerboat racing sport enjoyed between 1983 and 2010.
Local Authorities, County Councils, Tourism, Regeneration and Regional Development Agencies are no longer able to fund events, such as powerboat racing. The whole focus must be on front line and mandatory services.
The department for culture, media and sport has a 32% budget reduction target over four years and powerboat racing, in whatever guise is excluded.
In terms of sustainability, was the 2010 Penzance race benchmarked in terms of community, employment and retail growth? Were spectator surveys taken to quantify the amount of visitors who came just for the racing? Was the net income compared with the previous and following weekends and against previous years? In other words was it worth it and would they do it again?
The Harwich promoters, (not SEPA, who were the race organisers), sold a dream, at a cost of £440,000 and went bust, owing £298,000.
They took local money and services but had no real means to quantify the net gain, both in social, community and fiscal terms. They probably won’t be back.
Hopefully, Plymouth and Liverpool have found a way around the CSR funding rules or have access instead to convergence funding, in order to pay P1 SS to rock up.
However, convergence funding, through Brussels is incredibly difficult to obtain and has a success rate of less than 5%.
The RYA and all powerboat race organisers are faced with the same emerging problem. Municipal funding is a thing of the past and can only be replaced by private funding, but the reduction in competitors is reducing both the visual and sponsor appeal, so we come back to relying on benefactors, which is always unpredictable.
Maybe the RYA PRD might consider convening a ‘think tank’ to plan some future strategies.
Certainly SEPA doesn’t have the answer yet.

[JBP]

Originally Posted by Barrie Williams

This Coalition Government’s ‘Comprehensive Spending Review’, issued on the 20 October 2010, completely reformed the funding streams that offshore powerboat racing sport enjoyed between 1983 and 2010.
Local Authorities, County Councils, Tourism, Regeneration and Regional Development Agencies are no longer able to fund events, such as powerboat racing. The whole focus must be on front line and mandatory services.
The department for culture, media and sport has a 32% budget reduction target over four years and powerboat racing, in whatever guise is excluded.
In terms of sustainability, was the 2010 Penzance race benchmarked in terms of community, employment and retail growth? Were spectator surveys taken to quantify the amount of visitors who came just for the racing? Was the net income compared with the previous and following weekends and against previous years? In other words was it worth it and would they do it again?
The Harwich promoters, (not SEPA, who were the race organisers), sold a dream, at a cost of £440,000 and went bust, owing £298,000.
They took local money and services but had no real means to quantify the net gain, both in social, community and fiscal terms. They probably won’t be back.
Hopefully, Plymouth and Liverpool have found a way around the CSR funding rules or have access instead to convergence funding, in order to pay P1 SS to rock up.
However, convergence funding, through Brussels is incredibly difficult to obtain and has a success rate of less than 5%.
The RYA and all powerboat race organisers are faced with the same emerging problem. Municipal funding is a thing of the past and can only be replaced by private funding, but the reduction in competitors is reducing both the visual and sponsor appeal, so we come back to relying on benefactors, which is always unpredictable.
Maybe the RYA PRD might consider convening a ‘think tank’ to plan some future strategies.
Certainly SEPA doesn’t have the answer yet.

perhaps the answer is not to ask for cash then as they can bend rules on services as being non-direct etc. Can't remeber any of our venues directly handing over cash for us to use on the event so perhaps partnerships is a possible way to go. No point asking and getting a blunt NO then so a different tact is the way to go.

[Scream-it.com]

Originally Posted by JBP

perhaps the answer is not to ask for cash then as they can bend rules on services as being non-direct etc. Can't remeber any of our venues directly handing over cash for us to use on the event so perhaps partnerships is a possible way to go. No point asking and getting a blunt NO then so a different tact is the way to go.

Yes it is a case of get a life. My main business is a market leader in local Gov and powerboat racing will be at the arch bottom of the list, believe me. So let's get on with an innovative plan so forget the P1 style business model for it is dead and let's get real and get racing in a way that is acceptable to teams for without them (as P1 has realised) there is no racing!

[Barrie Williams]

Originally Posted by JBP

perhaps the answer is not to ask for cash then as they can bend rules on services as being non-direct etc. Can't remeber any of our venues directly handing over cash for us to use on the event so perhaps partnerships is a possible way to go. No point asking and getting a blunt NO then so a different tact is the way to go.

No they've wised up to that old ploy. It is now illegal for an LA to disguise it's funding under the pretence of in-house service provision and the penalties of infringement are severe. This 4-5 year CSR is no weak measure and will have long lasting effects on many sports, not just powerboat racing. However, the main victims will be libraries, swimming pools, after care clubs, elderly care, etc. Tourism and the unmeasured benefits of powerboat racing funding are a long way down the community priorities.

Thanet Council can't even provide us with temporary portable toilets for our Margate race in August. The toilets have to be commercially sponsored.