4:01 AM Fri 11 Dec 2009 GMT
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'Remember Sean’s 2004 Kite Sail. It was never going south, but it made great headlines.'
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It cost a lot of money to campaign a 40 footer, but multiply that by megabucks for the front of the Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet.
One of the fascinating battles is the Race of the Marketers; over the last decade Sean Langman has been the most regular Line Honours winner.
I will never forget a sat. call I received during the 2001 Sydney to Hobart, crackle crackle, 'Hi Rob, Its Sean, We've got a Pan Pan, we've broken the boat. Delammed the bow falling off a wave, water is coming in everywhere.'
I said 'Gosh that is awful Sean, but why are you calling us? Can't you get out on radio?'
Sean responded 'Its OK, we've told everyone. The boys will stop the water; they are cutting up the pipe cot tubing so they can wedge mattresses in place.
'So as we are out of the race, this will be our last story. I've called Amanda (News Limited) and now I am calling you.'
The work of a natural!!
Then there was his Kite Sail.
This year Sean is on the top of his form again. He has returned to big boat racing this year, chartering the 100 foot LOYAL, formerly Maximus.
Joining the sailors aboard LOYAL will be Australian boxer Danny Green, Olympic swimming Gold Medallist Grant Hackett, captain of the HSBC Waratahs Phil Waugh, former Wallabies rugby skipper Phil Kearns and TV Channel 7's Larry Emdur.
Hard to top that for media muscle. Sean has one hand on the Publicity Trophy already.
We will watch with interest, and you will see if hitting three sunfish is better than one whale. Who has the oldest, youngest, most girls?
Of course there are points for originality and effectiveness. In the effectiveness stakes there is a clear leader too.
Victoria's Grant Wharington has followed the time honoured naming right sponsors draw much beloved by suburban Club soccer teams, of collecting a lot of sponsors at a relatively low (well for a 100 footer anyway) and having a public draw on radio station 3AW in his home town Melbourne for naming rights. The winner was Etihad Stadium, a major football facility, hence Wild Thing will head south with that name.
What PR Angle do we expect next, what high profile personality will be added to a Hobart bound crew?
Maybe someone will come up with one of Tiger Wood's mistresses, seems there are plenty and he WAS in Australia for a week recently.
Here is the latest Hobart news...... note if you are keen to experience life on a big boat first hand, you can join the eBay bidding for a ride... note this closes in a few hours, so HURRY.
by Rob Kothe & the Sail-World Team
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Sailing
