by Lucy Harwood
Entries for the 2010 Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta are now open, to enter online or download the Notice of Race log onto the event website which is now live at www.skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk
The fifth installment of this international regatta takes place between 9th – 14th August at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Dorset. In 2009 the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta welcomed a record entry of over 600 sailors, the 2010 event is expected exceed this when it will host more than 750 sailors across 10 Olympic and 3 Paralympic classes.
Skandia remains onboard as title sponsor for the event. The Southampton-based long term investment company, which is well known for its support of sailing, has been title sponsor since the event’s inception in 2006. Alongside Skandia, UK Sport has announced their continued involvement as an event partner. This forms part of UK Sport’s World Class Events Programme, which distributes approximately £4 million of Lottery funding each year to support the bidding and staging costs of major events on home soil, as well as providing specialist support to organisers.
Esther Nicholls, Events Consultant for UK Sport, said: “UK Sport is committed to bringing world class sporting events to the UK ahead of 2012, in what we believe will be the most comprehensive pre-Games events programme ever staged by an Olympic host nation. Skandia Sail for Gold 2009 provided not only another invaluable opportunity for British sailors to compete at home, but also a step change in how spectators were able to engage with the event. UK Sport is delighted to be supporting Skandia Sail for Gold for the fifth consecutive year, and we look forward to seeing our athletes gain further knowledge of competing, and hopefully winning, on home waters ahead of 2012, as well as the continued evolution of the spectator experience.”
The Skandia Sail for Gold regatta is one of the biggest events on the 2010 sailing calendar, not only will it give competitors an opportunity to compete on Olympic and Paralympic waters ahead of 2012, but it will also play host to the seventh and final instalment of the 2009/10 edition of the ISAF Sailing World Cup series. Great Britain currently tops the rankings and will be looking to secure the overall title in Weymouth.
Utilising the power of the internet, the event will showcase online technology delivering sailing to a global audience through tracking, live interactive blogs and live radio. The event will be open to the general public who can come down each day to follow the racing onshore, there will be a giant screen broadcasting video and tracking, alongside live commentary.
“This is a crucial event on the calendar, it provides a unique opportunity for teams to compete at the state-of-the-art London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sailing venue. We intend to bring sailing to the masses through the use of the latest technology and are working alongside Trac Trac and Be Tomorrow to deliver the very best user experience we can for the remote online audience. We will be revealing more extensive details of the tracking capabilities at the event soon,” commented Event Director David Campbell James.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday 6th August Event Office opens for registration
Sunday 7th August Briefing for coaches and team leaders
Monday 9th August Racing day 1
Tuesday 10th August Racing day 2
Wednesday 11th August Racing day 3
Thursday 12th August Racing day 4
Friday 13th August Racing day 5
Saturday 14th August Medal Races (no warning signal after 1530)
Skandia Sail for Gold regatta
