Future Olympic Classes?

Hasn't worked so far, has it? Several sports have gone down this route, and what usually happens is that the sport has to change radically to entice the TV money, quite often to the detriment of the participants. I'd rather be sailing than watching sailing. The money that TV brings would not reach the likes of thee and me, so all in all, why worry? It's surely more beneficial to participate than to sit gazing at the box?

Sailing can be Media friendly if organised the right way.

Volvo Champions series curtesy of Tornado guru Roland Gaebler

35.000 Spectators celebrated the first 2004 Volvo Champions Race in Bavaria.

Bundock/Howden win first Tour Stop.

One thing was crystal clear when the first 2004 Volvo Champions Race ended this Sunday in Starnberg, Bavaria: 35000 spectators have seen the biggest sailing festival ever happening at Lake Starnberg. Three days of action-packed racing with rounding marks not more than 40 metres away from the audience at the shores created a unique stadion athmosphere. Said three times Olympic Champion Jochen Schumann who lives around 40 kilometres away from the venue in Penzberg and visited the event. "it's been a great event and perfect advertising for our sport.I really enjoyed being there".

It's been an exciting last day as the fight for podium places was not decided before the last race in the Tornado Class. It were then four times World Champion Darren Bundock and his British crew Will Howden, Tour winners of last year's first Volvo Champions Race Series to start into the new Tour with another win.
Austria's Olympic Champions Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher came second ahead of Sydney's Bronze Medallist Roland Gabler and his crew Gunnar Struckmann.

The tricky conditions on Lake Starnberg offered more stable and stronger winds up to five Beaufort on the last day. Nobody and nothing could stop the young German brothers Pit and Hannes Peckolt to win the 49er event with a clear lead over their fellow country men and reigning European Champions Marcus Baur and Max Groy. Last year's Volvo Champions Race Tour winners Peter and Soren Hansen from Denmark had a great last day with a third and a first thus securing third place overall.

Thomas Hanel, Director of Public Affairs & Events for Volvo Car Germany, said in his final round-up, "already day one has much more than fullfilled our expectations. Saturday and Sunday have been sensational. The audience is enthusiastic about our new race format. I guess we can really claim that there is no more spectator friendly sailing series in Germany at present than the Volvo Champions Race".

That the people really liked the close race action, the 30 world class teams from ten nations and the attractice shore programme with entertaining shows of TV star cook Alfons Schuhbeck, long party nights with life bands and Saturday night's amazing music firework is also underlined by a few impressive numbers from the party tent: Schuhbeck's team served more than 6000 hot meals, 3000 sausages and more than 2500 litres of beer.

The Volvo Champions Race in Starnberg, Bavaria is the first of three Stops of this year's Volvo Champions Race Tour. Following are the Volvo Champions Races in Rostock (2 - 4 July) and Travemunde (24 - 26 September) right after the Olympics.

Last year when the Olympics were on, we got a lot of enthusiastic pupils coming to our sailing school, talking about what Ben and Shirley were up to on the TV. It was great because it made them more enthusiastic about the sport plus gave us a lot of discussion points. I'm sure we had small children out on the boats dreaming about winning the Olympics when they grow up, and these are absolutely new-comers to the sport. Another point was with the sailing being on the TV, a lot of the people I know who don't sail were actually able to hold a discussion with me about sailing, and I'm sure it did generate a lot of interest in the sport. For the sport to grow, you need to bring new people into it and TV coverage is a very good tool for it.

....... and Dad also thinking "I wouldn't mind doing that too!"