Racing reaps profits in Newport

STAYING AFLOAT: The yacht Columbia is used on a corporate outing hosted by 12-Meter Charters of Newport. Crew member Abe Rosenberg is pictured above at left. / COURTESY 12 METER CHARTERS
STAYING AFLOAT: The yacht Columbia is used on a corporate outing hosted by 12-Meter Charters of Newport. Crew member Abe Rosenberg is pictured above at left. / COURTESY 12 METER CHARTERS

Among the positives during a busy summer in Newport, a corporate-outing windfall was realized as the City by the Sea played host to several major sailing events, including the America’s Cup World Series, tall ships and the 2012 Newport Bermuda Race.
Whether companies specialized in team-building exercises or simply provided a means for all to enjoy the festivities, many, including charter-boat services, reaped the benefits from the successful spending combination of tourists, nationally known corporations and world-class sailing events.
The R.I. Economic Development Corporation has hired Planning Decisions of Portland, Maine, a 30-year-old research and planning firm to conduct an economic study on the racing world series and the other marine events in Rhode Island, with the purpose of understanding the sources of revenue. The company will also create a system for the state to evaluate the economic impact of future marine events. The report is expected to be delivered by the end of the year.
The Cup races took place June 23-July 1 and the EDC estimated the event could bring in more than $70 million into the state’s economy. Part of the state’s efforts to make the happening even more attractive was the addition of an “exploration zone” in Newport that gave visitors a first-hand look at Narragansett Bay. The zone included sailing, sea creatures and the history and heritage of boat building and America’s Cup racing. The tall ships followed July 6, and both events were preceded by the Newport to Bermuda race on June 15.
“It has been a banner year in Newport, we had a great summer. Obviously all the sailing events drove volumes of people to Newport,” said Kerri Quinn Jaffe, chief marketing officer for Newport Harbor Corporation, where she oversees sales management and marketing strategy for several facilities, including the Castle Hill Inn. “Also, a variety of corporations attended some high-profile events over the summer,” she said. Corporate outings are held at the Castle Hill Inn, 40 acres of property overlooking the southern Narragansett Bay. “We certainly had our share of corporations coming to Newport to experience the lawn and our views,” she said. Over the last two years the company has developed a corporate-outing program, “Beyond the Boardroom.” “We’ve taken the 40 acres out at Castle Hill and also the playground that is Newport, and we have packaged unique experiences for corporations, whether they be board-of-directors or incentive meetings,” she said. “The end result is an unforgettable time for their constituents that is outside the norm of your typical board meeting.”
The activities include paddle-boarding lessons at the beach at Castle Hill, stargazing with an astronomer and culinary events with chefs. “We have tried to take the best of what our 40-acre peninsula has to offer. It has been tremendously successful,” she said. They also try to capitalize seasonally by holding events such as fireside chats, literary events and culinary and wine gatherings.
This year the sailing events were nationally prominent and so were the companies that visited. “There were several representatives of the New York fashion industry,” she said. “A lot of the fashion houses stayed with us throughout the course of the races. There were also several other large companies out of New York in the financial and entertainment industries.”
Helen S. Vaughan of Newport’s Sailing Excursions, home of the 80-foot Adirondack II, said it’s been a banner year.
“Business was great, the tall ships really made a big difference. It brought a lot of people into town who would see our boat, the Adirondack II, and go for a sail,” she said. The company focuses more on corporate charters than they do on specific team-building exercises. “We like to do them, and we’ll put together teams that will raise sails or see who can round the mark better, but most times it’s a charter to sit back and enjoy the scenery,” she said.
At 12-Meter Charters, also in Newport, yacht charter-broker Meredith Harrop said this year was busy and successful, catering to many businesses both in and outside the southern New England area. “It is something we have done for quite a while and this year there was a lot of interest because of the events,” she said.
For corporate team-building exercises, the company sports the Columbia and the Heritage, two 12-meter yachts that have both sailed in America’s Cup races when they were held in Newport. Columbia won the Cup in 1958; Heritage competed in 1970. The two yachts racing against each other provides challenging team-building opportunities, Harrop said.
“The 12-meter boats are the perfect size for racing and it isn’t every day that you get to race an America’s Cup winner,” she said. “For the last few years it’s been good business, especially on the corporate side and we are seeing more and more repeat customers.”
Nearly 60,000 people attended the Cup world series in Newport, according to state officials. That total fell short of initial predictions, which were based on the assumption of additional racing days.
The state helped invest in the Cup races, as Fort Adams State Park was transformed to provide public seating, vending opportunities and an international village. In addition, the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, in cooperation with numerous benefactors, built a 600-square-foot native rain garden at Fort Adams State Park. The garden aids surface runoff and stormwater control and treatment. •

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