As time flies by, Polish IMOCA sailor Gutek (Zbigniew Gutkowski) launched a fundraising campaign to help his December 31 st, 2014 Barcelona World Race start come real. Would he make it?

Crowdfounding in sailing and especially in the IMOCA class, has successful history, let just look at Derek Hatfield or Bertrand de Broc.

„I was looking for funds for over a year. My previous sponsoring contract ended this September. I can admit that until the very last moment I was thinking that something was about to happen. It didn’t” – says Gutek, the first Polish sailor in the IMOCA class. „So I decided to take this last chance and launch a crowdfunding campaign to buy new sails, ropes and rigging. My boat has been refitted and thoroughly checked, ready to go now, but to race I need to buy these things, so I and my co-skipper Maciej Marczewski count on every fan and every support I can get as the time is running fast.”

Every detail about Gutek, Magic and their boat is available here:http://www.barcelonaworldrace.org/teams/polish-ocean-racing-team

First to fund the sailing race this way was Canadian Derek Hatfield in Vendée Globe 2008-09. Derek had over 5500 supporters, private and corporate as well. He did not finish this singlehanded round the globe race, he decided to do it again. In 2010 he entered Velux 5 Oceans going around the world with 5 stopovers. Hatfield, having 7000 names written on his boat came in third, Gutek finished second sponsored by Polish publishing house Operon.

In Vendée Globe 2012-13 Bertrand de Broc decided to do the same. When I saw him on the quayside in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, his team was small, but strongly motivated. They kept raising money (€50 being a minimum entry) until the very last moment. They made it. The Frenchman started and finished his round the world solo challenge, and went further, getting funds for Transat Jacques Vabre 2013 and Route du Rhum 2014 in the very same way. His next Vendée entry 2016-17 with initiative Votre Nom Autour du Monde is also secured. He is not backed by any major corporation, but by over 4000 individuals and 100 small to large companies and enterprises.

(http://www.bertrand-de-broc.fr/)

One can follow almost every race live through smartphone apps and web race trackers. Every day for three months as the non-stop around the world race makes progress and every day for almost nine for same adventure with stopovers as the Volvo Ocean Race. Thousands of thousands people from all over the world are checking for news and boats positions 24/7. Not all of those people are sailors. With the communication becoming easier, we have audio, video, live streaming, pictures and words directly from the sea, the marketing power of sailing is growing fast, reaching people of all age, big cities and small villages wherever the internet is.

Zbigniew Gutkowski and Maciek Marczewski, Polish duo qualified for Barcelona World race, are counting on their fans and supporters. They have all needed and proven sailing experience, their knowledge of sailing goes well beyond standard, they are ready to go around the world non-stop in this race on a very competitive boat.

 

All they need are sails, ropes and rigging – financially quite a lot. But let’s keep fingers crossed and help them get on the start line. They need PLN 2 000 000 (around € 500 000). Any help would be very, very appreciated.

http://www.ideowi.pl/projekty/barcelona-world-race-start-polskiego-teamu-zbigniew-gutkowski-mac-52.html

English foundraising platform available very soon.

Every support counts and they count on you!

Gutek is open for every intv or media enquiry on Friday, Oct 31th. Please leave me a message as a comment if you want to speak to him or Magic directly or have some questions.

P.S. At the same moment (Oct 28th) Gutek’s former rival, Chris Stanmore Major, also announced public money raising project to help him sail in Barcelona World Race. Fingers crossed, CSM, and see you in BCN!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/barcelona-round-the-world-yacht-race-2014