ISAF World Match Racing Tour appoints new Sales Director

The world's leading professional sailing series, the ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT), has named Matthew Strachan as the new Sales Director as the Tour continues to implement an ambitious development plan.

Experience in business development
Strachan brings over 15 years of business development experience and a background working in the sports marketing industry having represented a number of global sports properties. Prior to establishing his own sports marketing business, he held roles at IMG (UK) where he developed corporate partnerships for a number of prestigious tournaments including The Open Championship and also headed corporate sales for Wembley Stadium. Strachan joins the World Match Racing Tour on 13 September and will be responsible for identifying and targeting potential Tour title sponsors as well as secondary partners.

Achieving commercial objectives
Jim O'Toole, CEO of the World Match Racing Tour, said: "We welcome Matthew to the WMRT team as we focus on developing the series in terms of the number of events, our commercial proposition and multi-media footprint around the world. Matthew has a proven record in strategic and creative business development and will play a key role in helping us to achieve our commercial objectives."

Sport with a positive environmental message
Strachan adds: "I'm excited to be joining the WMRT team at such an exciting time as its new management looks to take the business forward. A relationship with the WMRT offers so much to potential commercial partners; it's a clean sport with a positive environmental message, is contested on three continents, watched by millions, and it demands the very best from those who compete. Strong focus, strategy, teamwork, attention to detail and consistent performance are all essential elements to success in this sport and I believe are values inherent in successful businesses around the world."

About the World Match Racing Tour
The World Match Racing Tour features 9 World Championship events across the globe, which it hopes to double in the next five years. Current events take place in France, Germany, Korea, Portugal and Sweden culminating in November/December 2010 with the high-profile Monsoon Cup in Malaysia. With "Special Event" status from the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), the Tour attracts the world's best sailors who compete head-to-head on identical racing yachts for the overall 'ISAF Match Racing World Champion' title and US$1.5million in prize money.

Source: wmrt.com

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