TVs Davina McCall lends support to Sail for Gold Ball
by Karenza Morton, RYA 8 May 2008 13:14 BST
11 June 2008
Popular TV star Davina McCall will once again help to give Great Britain’s sailors a glorious Olympic send off when she attends the prestigious 2008 Sail for Gold Ball.
Davina, who presents Channel 4’s Big Brother and fronted the BBC’s Sport Relief coverage earlier this year, hosted a fundraising appeal on behalf of the sailors when she was a special guest at her first Sail for Gold Ball ahead of Athens 2004.
And Davina will be back on fundraising duty as more than 800 guests pack into the Hilton on Park Lane on Wednesday 11 June to give Britain’s sailing team a spectacular pre-Beijing farewell while helping to generate additional financial support for future sailing success at London 2012 and beyond.
Davina said: “The 2004 Sail for Gold Ball was absolutely brilliant and I can’t wait to be involved again as we give Britain’s sailors the best possible send off for Beijing 2008. Britain’s medal-winning sailors dominated the back pages during the previous two Olympics, so let’s celebrate those past achievements and give our team the send off they deserve.
“With London 2012 now so close on the horizon, we will also be looking to raise significant funds to not only support Britain’s sailing stars of today but also those youngsters who will represent their country on home waters in four years’ time and future Games beyond. Good luck Team GB!”
Among the fundraising activities taking part at the fifth Ball include the ever-popular Sail for Gold Short Odds Raffle and the Sail for Gold auction by Nick Bonham. Prizes include holidays, boats and sailing trips with supporting companies including Oyster Marine, Sunseeker, Neilson, Hilton and Laser.
Meanwhile, for the fourth time reputed artist Brian West will once again be donating an exclusive painting, entitled Sailing for Gold, which will also be auctioned by Nick Bonham. Limited edition prints of the painting, sponsored by North One Design Sails International, will be on sale on the night.
HRH The Princess Royal, President of the Royal Yachting Association, will present the sailors representing Great Britain at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in China this summer in an inspiring Ball opening ceremony.
For the third successive Ball, Peter Harrison, Chairman and founder of GBR Challenge and the Peter Harrison Foundation, will be the event’s Principal Sponsor.
The inaugural Sail for Gold Ball was staged in 1992 ahead of the Barcelona Olympics and more than 3,500 guests from the worlds of commerce, politics, the arts and media have attended the event in that time.
You can offer your support by means of a donation to the British Olympic and Paralympic team sailors on the occasion of the 2008 Sail for Gold Ball. For more details about donating visit www.sailforgoldball.co.uk
For further information on the Sail for Gold Ball contact Gavia Wilkinson-Cox, Event Director at 
