London – 1 October – The one-on-one battles, heated rivalries and twists of fate which embody the ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) will be played out on the waters of Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda next week at the Argo Group Gold Cup where the introduction of a mobile website and live blog with audio feed promise to bring the action closer to fans than ever before.
The Argo Group Gold Cup 2009. Photo - Charles Anderson
The WMRT is already well-known for providing virtual on-the-water stadiums to the scores of spectators who annually attend the Tour’s events and next week that fan experience will be further enhanced with the launch of the Tour’s new mobile website, www.wmrt.com. Spectators in Hamilton Harbour and around the world using iPhone, iPod, iPad as well as all Android, BlackBerry, Palm and Windows mobile devices will be now be able to access live results, reports, image and video galleries as the action unfolds. Mobile users can also access the Tour’s daily news vodcast and ‘Play of the Day’ via YouTube and fans of specific teams will have the unique option to personalise their homepages with the latest team information, images and biographies.
In addition, fans will be able to get further under the skin of the action from Bermuda where testing will take place for a live audio and video feed broadcast alongside the race blog at www.wmrt.com. Live spectators and web viewers will enjoy additional insight and race commentary from Scott Dickson, a renowned match racing figure who is well-versed in the Argo Group Gold Cup having competed there on numerous occasions.
The Tour already boasts an impressive global TV broadcast distribution, with highlight programmes aired by 25 broadcasters in over 183 countries. Next week’s action will be broadcast on Sky Sports, Eurosport and CNBC amongst other channels whilst highlights will also include exclusive interviews with the world’s best skippers, including reigning Champion Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, two-time World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar sponsored by Argo Group and Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team.
The launches are the result of a focused strategy by the WMRT to increase the series’ global multimedia footprint and are a timely addition with the Tour standings delicately poised as the teams approach the sharp end of the series. All eyes in Bermuda will be on Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team as he bids to stave off his arch rivals and take another step towards his first ISAF Match Racing World Championship title. That will suit his nearest challenger, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing who could potentially draw level with a win in either of the last two WMRT events. Just as the teams are busy calculating and computing all the permutations, the added insight that these new media platforms will bring will make it easier to follow than ever before.
Jim O’Toole, CEO at the World Match Racing Tour, said: "Sailing is often cited as being a poor spectator sport however the WMRT is unique in its ability to bring the action up close to spectators. We also have a huge global following and our focus on developing the Tour’s multimedia channels is targeted towards that audience and to build our overall fanbase. What better time to showcase the Tour’s ever-expanding multimedia offering as we head towards a thrilling finale at the final two events in Bermuda next week and then the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia in late November early December.”
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