THE organising committee behind the ISAF 2011 World Sailing Championships to be held in Fremantle next December is expecting an event three times the size of the 1986-87 America’s Cup defence that will deliver a $41 million windfall to the port city from tourism.
And it’s not just the organisers gearing up to host the 1,420 sailors and 4,000 race officials and support crew from 80 nations. Businesses in Fremantle have welcomed the championships, with Little Creatures Brewing, Kailis Jewellery, and Leeuwin Estate all signing sponsorship deals with event organiser Perth 2011.
The City of Perth has also signed on as an event partner, and will host an opening ceremony for the championships in the CBD and broadcasts of the racing off Fremantle will be shown live on the big screen in the Northbridge Piazza.
To ensure that Fremantle is prepared to host the championships, the state government, through Lotterywest, has provided the City of Fremantle with $850,000 to beautify the Mews Road precinct, where most of the action will take place. The City of Fremantle will provide an additional $350,000.
Perth 2011 event director John Longley said the championships, which will be three times bigger than the 1987 America’s Cup defence in terms of participants, was the biggest international sporting event the state government has directly funded since the Commonwealth Games in 1962.
The Perth 2011 championships comprises competitions for 10 different boat classes and will also serve as the qualifying competition for the 2012 London Olympic Games sailing regatta.
International visitors to the state for Perth 2011 are expected to stay for an average of four weeks, providing a $41 million injection into the local economy.
“We’ll be dropping into Fremantle and Perth about 5,000 international people, in an environment that is already well catered,” Mr Longley told WA Business News.
“We’re going to have a wonderful public village on the esplanade with lots of entertainment, bands, sailing simulators, go-kart tracks, and beach volleyball.
“There is going to be lots of stuff going on and we’re timing it to coincide with the Fremantle Festival as well.
“We’ll create a buzz down here that even if you don’t leave the city and come down to the beach and watch the racing, you will have a fantastically good time.”
Mr Longley said the scale of the event, and the proximity of the main course – just 400 metres off Bathers Beach – had the potential to re-create and surpass the excitement that swept across Fremantle during the America’s Cup Defence.
