CYCA Announces Renewed Sponsorship With Audi

ZETLAND, AUSTRALIA – Aug 16, 2011: Garry Linacre, Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, has announced that Audi Centre Sydney will continue on as the naming rights sponsor of the Audi Winter Series, the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race and the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy.

With the announcement to renew the sponsorship through the brand’s premier retail operation, Audi continues its long-term support of yachting in Australia. The luxury German carmaker has been a key partner of the CYCA since 2007, with sportiness and progressiveness as core values which are shared by both automotive design and competitive sailing.

“On behalf of the CYCA we are proud and honoured to continue our association with Audi, the largest corporate sponsor of competitive yachting in Australia,” Commodore Linacre said.

Audi Centre Sydney Dealer Principal, Joe King, says the company was keen to continue a high profile sponsorship with the CYCA, which has been developed over five successful years.

“We look forward to working closely with the CYCA to bring the Audi brand even closer to the Club’s members. Audi has been a keen supporter of competitive sailing for some years now as we see clear parallels between the automotive industry and sailing in terms of technology, competitiveness and progressive thinking. We are excited to again support ‘anchor’ events as the Audi Winter Series and of course the just-completed Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race,” Mr King said.

“The CYCA’s Youth Sailing Academy is also a fantastic grass roots initiative which we applaud, bringing new skills and a love of sailing to children in the Club’s local area. This is certainly a place to find future world champions and Olympians and Audi Centre Sydney is proud to support the next generation of competitive sailors.”

“We are pleased that Audi will continue to be one of the Club’s key sponsors and continue their commitment to the sport of yachting. With Audi’s sponsorship, the CYCA can continue to deliver some of Australia’s premiere yachting events including the Audi Winter Series and the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race; and lead the way in developing the sailors of tomorrow through the Youth Sailing Academy,” Commodore Linacre added.

Background to the main events
The 26th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race has just been concluded with a 69-strong fleet of yachts. Supermaxi, Wild Oats XI (Robert Oatley) took line honours victory in this event, with Anthony Bell’s Investec Loyal hot on the heels of ‘the Oats’. Overall IRC class victory went to Michael Hiatt’s Living Doll from Victoria.

The Audi Winter Series is the longest running ongoing series that dates back to the 1950s. With fleets averaging 140 plus boats weekly, it is one of the biggest weekly winter sailing events in the world, attracting more than 1,500 competitors who enjoy plenty of action packed round the buoys racing on the beautiful Sydney Harbour each week.

On top of the highly sought after exclusive Audi Winter Series merchandise awarded as prizes, every Sunday during the 2012 series Audi will provide the opportunity for one of the placegetters to test drive an Audi.

The CYCA Youth Sailing Academy was set up 18 years ago and is now one of the first full-time sailing academies dedicated to foster the development of young keelboat sailors. This sponsorship support of the the Academy’s training program provides opportunities for the Club’s young talent to attend national and international ISAF graded regattas to gain greater experience. Many graduates have gone on to sail on member yachts, sail professionally or compete in the Olympics. In 2013, the YSA will celebrate its 20th anniversary.