Since announcing an ambitious expansion plan which will see the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) grow to 15 events by 2013, the Tour has been overwhelmed by the level of interest from potential new host regions and is now in extended talks with 10 venues who are all eager to embrace the benefits of hosting a stage of WMRT.
Having officially launching the Venue Application process last November the financial, tourism, marketing and sailing development benefits associated with bringing the Tour to town have clearly resonated with international venues, with no fewer than 77 locations having submitted initial expressions of interest.
With such a surge of interest from locations around the world in becoming part of WMRT, we caught up with Terry Newby of Regatta International who is overseeing the venue application process.
“The benefits of hosting a stage of the World Match Racing Tour has clearly had a huge influence on why people wanted to enter applications. What has been clear from the process is how aware countries are of the positive impact hosting an event of this magnitude would have on their region. What has been most surprising about this process is that we haven’t had to up-sell the Tour, they know the value of being associated with it and want to be a part of it.”