Yacht Racing Forum and World Match Racing Tour announce long term partnership
by Yacht Racing Forum 22 Sep 2016 22:42 BST
22 September 2016
World Yacht Racing Forum 2010 © VISIONHAUS
The Yacht Racing Forum and the World Match Racing Tour are delighted to announce a long-term partnership. Founded in 1999, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the world's leading professional sailing series.
The Tour has been involved alongside the Yacht Racing Forum since its debut in 2008 in Monaco. In July 2015, Swedish company Aston Harald acquired the event through its subsidiary Aston Harald Sports, marking a major step forward for the World Match Racing Tour with the introduction of the one-design M32 high performance catamarans.
The new partnership with the Yacht Racing Forum is part of the Aston Harald Sports commercial strategy, aimed at further developing the World Match Racing Tour, M32 Series and the M32 catamaran's class. "The Yacht Racing Forum reassembles the key people involved in the international yacht racing community and it is natural for us to be involved with a long term vision", said Robert Magnusson, CEO of Aston Harald Sports. "The Forum gives us the opportunity to meet with the sailing industries key stakeholders to talk about the development of the World Match Racing Tour and the M32 Series. We strive to generate a great platform for teams, sponsors and venues as well as to create a stepping-stone for talent within the sport. This enables us to align with the rest of the industry and receive valuable input for the future."
Held every year at the end of November, the Yacht Racing Forum is the leading annual conference for the global yacht racing industry. The two-day event gathers the sports key personalities and industry experts to discuss the business of the sport and key issues such as sponsorship, television, media, sustainability issues, new markets, host cities and much more.
"We are delighted to once again welcome the World Match Racing Tour as an event partner and to initiate a long lasting partnership with Aston Harald Sports", said Bernard Schopfer, the event's CEO. "We regard this support from the World Match Racing Tour as a strong mark of confidence, which we are proud of. "
Preparations ahead of the Yacht Racing Forum 2016 are well advanced, with top-level speakers confirmed. One of the sessions, on November 29, will focus on the future of match racing; it will reassemble America's Cup winner Ed Baird (USA), pro sailor and match race specialist Cameron Appleton (NZL), Aston Harald AB CEO Håkan Svensson and other personalities involved at the top of the sport. The conference will among others discuss the future of match racing, the use of multihulls and the pathways to the top for young sailors.
The Yacht Racing Forum 2016 will take place on November 28 – 29 in Malta; it will be co-hosted by Yachting Malta and Yachting / Events. The event will attract some 300 people in one place at one time to do business and meet future clients: yacht clubs, athletes, sponsors, event organisers, designers, technical suppliers and anyone involved or just interested in yacht racing.
For more information and registration: www.yachtracingforum.com