2009 Celebrity Media Regatta
Photo ©2009 Erik Simonson
Marine Media Alliance
- Crews capable of sailing J/120s, J/105s, Beneteau 36.7s.
- Contributions of auctionable items, with proceeds to benefit Beat Sarcoma and BAADS. Some ideas include vacation packages, house rentals, yacht charters, sailing lessons, tickets to sporting events, etc.
- Food and beverage donations.
- Additional media contacts who may be interested.
- Nice cruising sailboats for those who prefer not to race.
- RIBs... and drivers.
- Sponsors who wish to donate cash for ads on Pressure Drop, Beat Sarcoma, and sailsfbay.org sites and any associated literature.
- Warm bodies (volunteers).
- If you would like to administer, coordinate or assist in managing any or all portions.
Please
and let us know your interest.
- Create an annual MUST DO event for sailors and media professionals alike.
- Via fund-raising and donations, make the event no cost to boat owners and participants.
- Produce a fun, no-stress regatta, where rules are bent or broken, and grins are more important than wins.
- Encourage broadcast media personnel from stations throughout the area to compete in team challenges.
- Spread the message about worthwhile charities like Beat Sarcoma and BAADS.
- Share the www.sailsfbay.org sailing directory resources with the general public.
- Lay down a foundation for great communication between the sailing community and the broadcast community.
- Establish a mode that other metro areas in the country can follow.
These goals may seem lofty, but they can be reached! |
After 20 years of stalemate between the broadcast media and the sailing community, the Media Cup concept was born during an industry rejuvenation (Sailing Renaissance) meeting. Most sailing news stories, regatta press releases, ideas, concepts and great plans all end up in the same place: preaching to the choir.
So how do we reach OUTSIDE the box?
Instead of mailing or emailing endless press releases about sailing events, causes, or personae to the media, expecting reporters completely disconnected from the sport to appreciate, much less understand, the information before them (almost assuring its demise), why not reach out to the broadcast media?
After consulting with a couple well-known DJ’s at local radio stations and getting their feedback, we developed a concept. It’s basic: put some willing participants from local TV and radio stations onto comfortable yet fun one design boats with fun crews and allow them to experience and enjoy a day on the water, all the while benefiting a couple of the many deserving non-profit sailing organization.
Although approximately 7,000,000 people live in the Bay Area, an estimated mere 5%-7% actively sail on the Bay or its nearby waters. For many, sailing appears virtually made of unobtainium and enjoyed solely by the very wealthy. But, to quote Jim Kilroy of Kialoa fame, “95% of the sailors are hard working wage earners and only 5% are owners with money, and frankly the crews seem to have more fun most of the time.”
Truth be told, sailing is far more accessible than most people think. The problem is how do we connect to the masses? www.sailsfbay.org is a one stop shop listing wide varieties of programs that can introduce even the most indigent person to a whole new world which they may have thought unavailable. It also lists schools, handicapped and kids’ programs to name a few.
Similarly, many of the folks working in the broadcast media have never been sailing. Ever.
Yes, hard to believe that articulate and educated professionals covering news all around the San Francisco Bay could go about their day-to-day business yet literally miss the boat, somehow missing out on one of our area’s greatest attributes and greenest forms of recreation. That’s where the Media Cup comes in.
By engaging broadcast media professionals in a fun, challenging event, we can achieve several things:
- Make great new friends.
- Become ambassadors for a sport we love.
- Dispel the myth that sailing is an elitist sport.
- Support worthwhile causes.
- Create media allies and have a voice in the population at large.
- Lay a foundation for support when sailing campaigns, events and charities come to town.
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