(November 8, 2011) – The World Match Racing Tour has today announced a new Tour Invite Policy for the 2012 season which is designed to ensure the world’s leading professional sailing series continues to attract the best sailors and teams to its World Championship events.
A key part of the Tour’s blueprint is for the series to provide its event promoters with access to a consistent pool of the world’s top match racers to ensure high quality racing at their events. The new Tour Invite Policy will therefore adopt a selection model that reflects a combination of performance and marketability. For 2012, the nine Tour Cards will be allocated on three key selection criteria: performance in previous year; rankings; and, an analysis of the team’s ability to add value and consistency to the Tour as a Championship, sports property, media vehicle and as a business.
The fee for a 2012 Tour Card is based on past performance and market availability. The current World Champion will pay $25,000 while everyone else pays a minimum of $45,000. To insure that Tour Card holders represent the international sport, there will be a maximum of two teams per market (ie, country). For markets with more than two bidders, the fee for the Tour Card may increase.
To help Card Holders demonstrate the level of return on investment each season to their sponsors, each Card Holder is also presented with their own team valuation report created by the Tour’s independent valuation agency. Based on the level of exposure that teams receive across the Tour’s multimedia platform, the individual reports provide not only a team valuation figure but also a valuation breakdown for each of their sponsors. In 2010, the average team value for the Tour’s nine Tour Card Holders across the season was over US$770,000.
The Tour requires all applications and confirmation of preferred event options to be submitted by 31 December 2011. Tour Cards for the 2012 season will be allocated on 13 January 2012. — Full report: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-110811
BLING: The World Match Racing Tour this week unveiled its new ISAF Match Racing World Championship trophy at jeweller Garrard’s flagship store in Mayfair, London. The new Tour trophy is made from sterling silver with partial gilt and enamel, and adopts a nautical theme complete with spiralling waves, nautical rope detail and the Tour’s famous double sails symbol which sits at the top of the trophy. — Full report: http://tinyurl.com/WMRT-110811A
BACKGROUND: The eight event World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series, and is sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with “Special Event” status. Prize money is awarded for each event, with event points culminating in the crowning of the “ISAF Match Racing World Champion”. — http://www.wmrt.com