by Audrey Lakai
World Match Racing Tour (WMRT), the world's leading professional sailing series, announced the launch of its new website, www.wmrt.com, today. The new website features a fresh modern design, better and more intuitive navigation and a wealth of information about the Tour.
The 'multimedia' section starts with the gallery which has been designed to give visitors to the website an easier way to view the pictures taken at the Tour events and to help media compile and download photos for editorial use. A 'favourites' list can also be generated and, for registered users, downloaded as a compressed (zip) file.
Existing registered users need not worry about registering again as their details have been transferred to the new site automatically. New Subscribers however, will need to fill in a simple on-line form to gain access and use the 'favourites' list.
A new 'videos' section has been created to allow recent clips to be viewed right on the front page and also in other sections of the website. A larger view of the video clips are available in the 'video gallery', categorised into easy to find channels based on events and years that events took place.
The news section has been revamped and divided into the years the events were held for easy navigation and a powerful key word search function caters for effortless and more precise search of articles. In addition, all the Tour newsletters can be downloaded in Portable Document Format (PDF) for off-line reading.
Meanwhile the sections on Skippers, Events and Boats will feature all the information one needs to know on who, what, when and where about the Tour.
The new website will form part of the strategy of bringing the Tour closer to fans with live blogs, leveraging social media channels and video streaming of key events.
Tour Brand Manager, Ivan Tuen, said "We have been working hard on this development over the past few months. We wanted to bring a new look and feel to the website in terms of the aesthetics of the design, accessibility and navigation as well as information sharing through social networks."
"With the new website, we hope to raise awareness, expand and strengthen interest in the World Match Racing Tour amongst the public. We've also set up the new site with the aim to help the participating teams maintain the interest and confidence of their partners," said World Match Racing Tour Acting President, Peter Gilmour.
"We believe that this year's Tour will be more competitive and compelling than ever before. We hope that the new website will help deliver that excitement on-line and further entice people to follow the Tour live!" he added.
Tour Standings in 2009
1. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 138 Points
2. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 97 Points
3. Ben Ainslie, (GBR) Team Origin 95 Points
4. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR 93 Points
5. Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Match Racing Team Racing 89 Points
6. Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar 83 Points
7. Sebastian Col, (FRA) French Match Racing Team 55 Points
8. Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 48 Points
Count down:
Stage 1 - Match Race France, in 36 days ( April 6-11, 2010)
Marseille International Match Race. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/World Match Racing Tour.
About the World Match Racing Tour:
The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series featuring 10 World Championship events across the globe, sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with "Special Event" status
The World Tour awards over US$1.5million in prize money with points awarded at each event culminating in the crowning of the "ISAF Match Racing World Champion". In addition, an incentive to compete in the world's premier sailing series just got bigger. A US$250,000 overall prize pool for the top nine teams with a $50,000 bonus for the outright winner of next year's World Match Racing Tour is now on offer. Events utilise the same "match race" format used in the America's Cup with racing taking place in identically supplied racing yachts which places a focuses on team work and skill. Racing takes place close to the shore for the general public to follow the races as virtual on-the-water stadiums.
Media and television highlights coverage reaches over 600 million households in excess of 100 countries around the world.
World Match Racing Tour co - sponsors include Pindar, Custom House, Travel Places, Wedgwood and Sail.TV
2010 Tour Schedule
1. April 6 - 11 Match Race France, Marseille
2. May 19 - 24 Match Race Germany Langenargen, Germany
3. June 8 - 13 Korea Match Cup Gyeonggi, Korea
4. June 22 - 27 Portugal Match Cup Troia, Portugal
5. July 5 - 11 Match Cup Sweden Marstrand, Sweden
6. August 31 - Sept 5 St Moritz Match Race St Moritz, Switzerland
7. September 8 - 12 Danish Open Bornholm, Denmark
8. September 21-26 Vietnam Match Cup Nha Trang, Vietnam
9. October 4 - 10 Argo Group Gold Cup Hamilton, Bermuda
10. November 30 - Dec 5 Monsoon Cup K. Terengganu, Malaysia
World Match Racing Tour
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