Proposal to host the 2016 Melges 24 World Championships Presented by Premiere Racing, Inc. Key West Race Week January 2016

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Proposal to host the 2016 Melges 24 World Championships Presented by Premiere Racing, Inc. Key West Race Week January 2016 Photo by: Tim Wilkes I think it s been a fantastic event.

1 Proposal to host the 2016 Melges 24 World Championships Presented by Premiere Racing, Inc. Key West Race Week January 2016 Photo by: Tim Wilkes I think it s been a fantastic event. Premiere Racing has worked incredibly hard with the IMCA team to get the World Championship organized on such short notice after the Ft Lauderdale Yacht Club pulled out. It s been a great event, the organization both ashore and afloat have been excellent. We can t praise our Race Officer and his team enough for the exemplary way in which they ve managed the racing. They ve done a tremendous job and we re grateful to them. ~ Keith Musto; IMCA Secretary and Olympic Silver Medalist

2 Table of Contents 1. Premiere Racing & Key West Race Week Background Page 1 2. Florida Keys & the City of Key West.Page 2 3. Race Management..Page 3 4. Location..Page 4 5. Race Area..Page 6 6. Schedule.Page 7 7. Media Page 8 8. Transportation & Accommodations Page 9 9. Key West Tourism Page Budget.Page 12 Premiere Racing Inc. 67B Front Street Marblehead, MA Phone: (781) Fax: (781) Racing.com Peter S. Craig, President Peter@Premiere- Racing.com

3 1. Premiere Racing & Key West Race Week Background About Premiere Racing Premiere Racing, Inc. was founded in March of 1996 by Peter S. Craig and has offices in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Premiere Racing s primary business is sailing event management and consulting. The company currently owns and manages a major international annual sailboat regatta: Key West Race Week, in January. Premiere Racing also manages special events and provides race management expertise. Among the current ones are the St Barths and Newport Bucket Regattas, for which Premiere Racing manages all aspects of the events. Craig does the race management for a number of annual regattas in Porto Cervo: the Loro Piana SuperYacht Regatta, the Perini Navi Cup, and the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Other events include the AC Superyacht Regatta held in conjunction with the 34 th America s Cup in San Francisco, management of the 2009 Volvo Ocean Race Boston Stopover and the 2000, 2003 and 2006 Volvo Ocean Race Chesapeake Stopovers. World Championships include the 2009 Swan 45 World Championship (Porto Cervo), the 2008 TP52 World Championship (Lanzarote, Canary Islands) and the 2007 TP52 World Championship (Porto Cervo, Italy). Premiere Racing and Key West Race Week Background The first Key West Race Week was held in 1988 by Yachting Magazine. Beginning in 1994, Peter Craig managed the on- water portion of Yachting Key West Race Week in the capacity of Race Director. In 1997 Premiere Racing took over management of all aspects of the Key West event, including shoreside activities, sponsorships, on- water and fiscal responsibilities. During this time the event experienced dramatic growth in both size and stature, and established itself as the premier annual sailing regatta in North America and one of the very top events worldwide. The 2014 regatta is the 27 th edition of this international event. It is one of the very few annual, week long regattas in the US. Key West Race Week and the Melges 24 The Melges 24 has long been a marquee one- design class at Key West. It first debuted as a class in 1994 with an impressive 29 boats and for many years has been the largest class in number. The 2001 Melges 24 World Championship was held during the 2002 Key West Race Week. Following the 9/11 tragedy, the planned Fort Lauderdale venue was cancelled. Working closely and quickly with both US and International Melges organization, Premiere Racing was able to accommodate the needs and requirements for a World Championship. The 77- boat fleet enjoyed five days of racing, all appropriate social activities, and crowned a 2001 World Champion at the end of a successful week. Premiere Racing s well established race management team, venue experience, and excellent working relationship with the Melges 24 organization would ensure that the 2016 Melges 24 World Championship would be properly planned, managed and executed. This is just a quick note to say a huge thank you to everyone at Premiere for the enormous amount of hard work you put in to making the 2001 Melges 24 World Championship such a huge success. I have had dozens of complimentary comments about all aspects of the event and everyone had the best time both afloat and ashore. Fiona Brown; International Melges Class Association 1

4 2. Florida Keys and the City of Key West The Florida Keys and Key West are an ideal winter getaway destination. The longevity and appeal of Key West Race Week (KWRW) are due in no small part to the dependable Key West wind and sea conditions. A winter escape to a tropical island is often cited as a reason to come to KWRW. Many sailors bring their families for a vacation that offers beautiful beaches, world class and casual restaurants, and many unique attractions. For many the lively nightlife is another draw. Key West Weather January Averages Water High Air Temps Temps Low Air Temps F 69 F 75 F 65 C 21 C 24 C 18 Key West offers warm and sunny weather throughout the year. January typically has very little rain. The month of January is characterized by essentially constant daily high temperatures, with daily highs around 74 F throughout the month, exceeding 81 F or dropping below 65 F only one day in ten. 2

5 3. Race Management Over the past 20 years, Premiere Racing has assembled an extraordinary team. Each year over 100 dedicated on the water and shoreside volunteers make it to Key West to ensure Race Week is run as smoothly and successfully as possible. The race office is run by an excellent group of volunteers who are knowledgeable and professional. In the past few years, Key West Race Week has had the same committed and talented PRO s with strong and reliable teams on the water. The Melges 24 Worlds division will get the best mix of individuals to create an outstanding race committee. The PRO for the Melges 24 Worlds division will be appropriately experienced and mutually agreed upon by the IMCA and Premiere Racing. Race committee boats will be provided to adequately run the racing in a safe and proper manner. The boats will be in length on average. The preliminary list is as follows: Signal Boat: suitable for all weather conditions and reliable for race operations Port end start boat / gate control boat: fast, dry, all weather boat Starboard end start boat (if needed): fast, dry, all weather boat Windward mark set boat: fast, dry, all weather boat Mark recording boat: fast, dry boat; capable of moving marks quickly Safety / support boats: fast, dry, all weather boat; capable of assisting in case of emergencies International Jury: minimum of 3 boats dedicated to the use of the Jury; maneuverable boats suitable for monitoring the fleet International Measurer: one dedicated boat for the use of the International Measurer and Chief Equipment Inspectors IMCA Photographer: one dedicated boat for the IMCA photographer IMCA Press Officer: one dedicated boat for the IMCA Event Press Officer Press boat: minimum of one other fast, dry boat for visiting press; equipped with an experienced driver and comfortable for photographers IMCA Championship Coordinator / Administrator: a dedicated boat for the use of the IMCA Championship Coordinator / Administrator; can be used as a secondary IMCA press boat The appropriate number of International Jury members will be approved by the IMCA and be established according to the ISAF Rules. Adequate facilities will be provided for equipment inspection. These will include: crane for boat weighting, trestles for rig checks, calibrated load cell to weigh boats, calibrated scale to check rig weights, event stamps, and sail measurement tables. Now that the dust has settled, I wanted to pass on what a great event you had last month in Key West. From a humble Melges 24 sailor s point of view, it was a great time. I honestly don t know how you pull it all off, but it really doesn t have an equal certainly better run than any other regatta I ve ever been to. I enjoyed this year more than most and can t wait until the next one. Congratulations. Mike Toppa; Melges 24 Buzzard 3

Caribbean Restaurant at the intersection of Caroline and Whitehead

6 4. Location Race Headquarters, the Jury Rooms, Media Center and evening party venue will be located at and adjacent to Kelly s Caribbean Restaurant at the intersection of Caroline and Whitehead Streets in Old Town Key West. Shoreside Plan Jury Weigh In Race Office 4

Both Quantum Sail Design Group and North Sails set up temporary service lofts during Race Week. Several rigging trailers set up a concierge service at the Truman Waterfront during the week as well.

7 There are many viable rigging and repair options during Key West Race Week. Various marinas in the area include Coffin Marine Mobile Marine Services, Robbie s Maritime Center, and Stock Island Village Marina. Both Quantum Sail Design Group and North Sails set up temporary service lofts during Race Week. Several rigging trailers set up a concierge service at the Truman Waterfront during the week as well. In addition to the three major marinas in the Key West area (Historic Seaport Marina, Robbie s Maritime Center and Stock Island Village Marina) Coffin Marine Mobile Marine Services will be set up at Truman Waterfront Property. Crane launch haul / mast step / and container load- offload services will all be available. This service has been set up at TWP for the past several years and has proven to be quite successful and a positive alternative to the limited dockage and number of marinas with launch services in Key West. Storage for boats, containers, trailers, cars, etc. are all available at the Truman Waterfront Property. The area is leased to Premiere Racing from January 1 31 with ample space. The permit is renewed annually but we expect 2016 to provide the same facilities. Aerial views of the Truman Waterfront Property: 5

8 5. Race Area Key West Race Week Racing Areas and Division Assignments The Melges 24 Worlds will be racing on Division 2. Center positions for the 3 race areas follow: Division / Division / Division / Race areas are nautical miles in diameter 6

6. Preliminary Schedule Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Sail Registration & Boat Measurement Crew weigh- in / boat stickers & numbers available for pre- registration pick up Practice Day Melges 24

9 6. Preliminary Schedule Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Sail Registration & Boat Measurement Crew weigh- in / boat stickers & numbers available for pre- registration pick up Practice Day Melges 24 Registration Crew weigh- in Sail Registration & Boat Measurement Melges 24 Skipper s Meeting Melges 24 Opening Ceremony Practice Day Registration Crew weigh- in Sail Registration & Boat Measurement Shoreside Panel & Skipper s Meeting Welcoming Reception Monday Thursday: Race Days Harbor Start Racing Shoreside panels & weather debriefings Prize Giving & Evening Party Friday: Final Race day Harbor Start Racing Closing Ceremony & Final Prize Giving Melges 24 Wrap- Up Party Race Days Harbor start is at 1015 with 2-3 races planned each day. Racing is weather dependent and can be adjusted to accommodate IMCA regulations or any schedule changes. Shoreside / Social Tentative plans include a Melges 24 Worlds Opening Ceremony on Saturday, evening parties after racing each day, and a Race Week Closing Ceremony followed by a Melges 24 Worlds Wrap- Up Party on Friday. In addition to Regatta parties, Key West offers a variety of activities Sunset Pier, Duval Street bars, Old Town Intimacy, and as much Key Lime Pie as you can imagine. Please refer to page 11 for additional tourism information. Photo by: Ken Stanek 7

7. Media The IMCA appointed Media Coordinator and Event Press Officer will work with the highly skilled Race Week press team.

The marketing, promotional and PR Plan for Key West Race Week is a year round effort that is designed to reach potential participants (our target market), as well as national and international media

These materials include: Notice of Race four color, promotional and informative publication; 3,000 distributed globally Dedicated event website with advance and breaking news Social media Facebook,

10 7. Media The IMCA appointed Media Coordinator and Event Press Officer will work with the highly skilled Race Week press team. On site the media facilities will provide a comfortable work environment with open tables, Wi- Fi access, cold drinks, and friendly personnel. The marketing, promotional and PR Plan for Key West Race Week is a year round effort that is designed to reach potential participants (our target market), as well as national and international media outlets. The 2016 Melges 24 Worlds will be highlighted throughout all materials as a supplement to the IMCA coverage. These materials include: Notice of Race four color, promotional and informative publication; 3,000 distributed globally Dedicated event website with advance and breaking news Social media Facebook, Twitter, etc. to update and promote feedback Advertising in appropriate target print and online publications Online coverage during the event (KW LIVE!) Minimum of four advance press releases Minimum of six press releases during and immediately following the event QUANTUM KEY WEST RACE WEEK 2013 Press Release Summary OFFICIAL SPONSORS NOVEMBER 13, 2012 Top Tier National and International Programs Heading to Key West 26 th Edition Event Set to Deliver Great Competition DECEMBER 20, 2012 Return of Swan 42, Resurgence of Melges 24 Bolster Quantum Key West One-design Classes Bouncing Back at North America s Premiere Winter Regatta JANUARY 15, 2013 World Class Talent Heading to Key West Race Week New Designs and Familiar Names on the Scratch Sheet JANUARY 19, 2013 A Word of Thanks to Race Week s Sponsors JANUARY 20, 2013 Ready to do Battle at Quantum Key West 2013 More than a Thousand Sailors Prepared for 26 th Anniversary Regatta JANUARY 21, 2013 Wind Kicks Up on Opening Day at Quantum Key West 2013 Fantastica Earns Nautica Watches Day Boat of the Day JANUARY 22, 2013 Strong Winds Challenge Crews at Quantum Key West 2013 Sailors get a Workout as Division 2 Completes Three Races JANUARY 23, 2013 Moving Day at Quantum Key West 2013 Leads Change in Many Classes on Heavy Air Day! JANUARY 24, 2013 Spectacular Conditions Shine at Quantum Key West 2013 World Class Competition Continues on Day Four JANUARY 25, 2013 Epic Week of Racing at Quantum Key West 2013 Five Days of Strong Winds Thrill Sailors All press releases can be read on the Premiere Racing website: 8

Accommodations in Key West There are many options in Key West, with prices, locations, and amenities to suit any budget and any group or individual party.

12 Accommodations in Key West There are many options in Key West, with prices, locations, and amenities to suit any budget and any group or individual party. They include: Hotels / Motels / Resorts with all the amenities... pool and/or beach, resort facilities, restaurant. Guest Houses / Inns / Bed & Breakfast - traditional Conch Houses offering comfortable, casual lodging. Homes, Cottages & Condominium Rentals many rentals are available in a wide range of prices RV & Campgrounds often a choice by sailors on a budget Reservation Services there are very good local services (Visitor s Center, Accommodations Center, etc) Too numerous to list on these pages, but Premiere Racing would work with the tourism council, local booking agencies and our own list of preferred hotels and inns ensure that participants have ready access to the options and any available package rates or discounts. 10

9. Key West Tourism An excerpt from the tourism website (fla- keys.com) provides a good overview: Discover a city where real estate titles date back to the Kings of Spain.

13 9. Key West Tourism An excerpt from the tourism website (fla- keys.com) provides a good overview: Discover a city where real estate titles date back to the Kings of Spain. Stroll the palm- lined streets and discover gingerbread mansions, tin- roofed conch houses, the John Audubon House and Ernest Hemingway s home. Walk in the footsteps of Thomas Edison, Lou Gehrig, Harry Truman and Tennessee Williams. Gaze at the fabled treasure of the galleon Atocha. Discover tomorrow s fine art treasures by Key West s well- known and unknown artists. And don t forget about the world of wonder down under (the sea, that is), as Key West is home to some of the best fishing and diving known to man including our newest underwater wreck, the U.S.S. Vandenberg. Only in Key West would the sun shine brightest when it sets. Everyone gathers for the never planned, always varied Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square. Once the sun is safely tucked away by jugglers; mimes, musicians and street artists, the city moves to a different beat. A night beat. The streets, filled with sidewalk cafes, open- air bars, legendary pubs and world- class restaurants come alive. Gourmets and gourmands alike treat their palates to island specialties. Drama, musicals and comedy flourish on our stages. In this city of fascinating contrasts, you could easily find yourself wanting to let go of mainland hassles permanently. THINGS TO DO AND SEE 1. Audubon House & Gardens 2. Conch Tour Train 3. Hemingway House 4. Key West Cigar Factory African Burial Ground on Higgs Beach 6. Mallory Market 7. Mel Fisher Maritime Museum 8. Old Town Trolley 9. Wrecker s Museum (oldest house) 10. Key West Aloe 11. Key West Aquarium 12. Lighthouse Museum 13. Curry Mansion 14. Sunset Celebration 15. Ship Wreck Museum Please see the map below for highlights and locations. 16. Fort Taylor 17. Little White House Museum 18. The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory 19. East Martello Museum & Art Gallery 20. West Martello Tower 21. Bahama Village 22. Red Barn Theatre 23. Waterfront Playhouse 24. Tennessee Williams Fine Arts Center (on Stock Island) 25. San Carlos Institute (Instituto San Carlos) 26. Ripley s Believe It or Not! Museum 27. Key West Shipwreck Historeum 28. Key West Chamber of Commerce 29. Key West Museum of Art & History (Customs House) 30. Sands African - Bahamian Museum 31. AIDS Memorial 11

14 10. Budget More information to follow. 12

See the best of Key West on the tour that s been

RIDE 2ND CONSECUTIVE DAY FOR $15 See the best of Key West on the tour that s been entertaining visitors to the Island City since 1958. The Conch Tour Train is one of Florida s most popular attractions,