MaltaMedia.com

The Malta Tourism Authority’s UK office has just secured a sponsorship deal with Yacht Company Sailing Logic for its award winning boat PumaLogic, which has been awarded the prestigious RORC Yacht of the Year for 2009.

This exciting partnership between the Malta Tourism Authority and Sailing Logic, the UK’s leading yacht racing sailing school, has evolved as a direct result of the yacht’s successful racing campaign in 2009.

The Malta Tourism Authority were looking to sponsor a high-profile yacht or individual in the racing arena that combined an outstanding track record with high visibility opportunities. Puma Logic and her skipper, Philippe Falle were immediately recommended by an award-winning national newspaper journalist as being the perfect fit.

This year, the boat will be racing under her new name Visit Malta Puma. Her extensive racing calendar kicked off with the Warsash Spring Series that commenced on Sunday 14th March in which she scored a second place in Black Group IRC2. Her programme also includes the Round Ireland Race, Cork Week, Cowes Week and seven RORC offshore races.

There are many synergies between the Malta Tourism Authority’s objectives and Sailing Logic’s activities, not least that Malta hosts one of the World’s premier offshore racing events – the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

Over the next twelve months Visit Malta Puma will attract a large amount of media interest in the UK and Ireland. As the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s ‘Yacht of the Year’ the team aboard the yacht will create significant brand exposure promoting Malta as a leading European tourist destination in both the UK and Ireland.

Alex Incorvaja, Director UK and Ireland, Malta Tourism Authority enthuses: ‘We’re delighted with this new partnership with Sailing Logic. Philippe’s exceptional results made him an obvious choice, particularly when we he is also competing in prestigious races such as Round Ireland and Cork week. This gives us an excellent platform to promote the destination to a relative untapped audience, giving us further coverage to Malta’s extensive marketing and promotional activities on this most important source market.

Visit Malta Puma has already secured editorial features and coverage in the leading UK yachting press including Yachting World and Yachts and Yachting. The Financial Times sailing correspondent, Richard Donkin will sail aboard Visit Malta Puma for part of the season providing some excellent coverage.’

Philippe Falle, Sailing Logic’s Racing Director, comments: “We are very flattered and excited to be backed by another country! This sponsorship enables us to invest further in Puma. I am particularly looking forward to increasing the awareness and popularity in the UK of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, which starts and finishes in Malta in October.”