Yachting crews competing in this year’s Ramsgate Week sailing regatta enjoyed the support of the Holiday Inn Express hotel last week, as the intrepid sailors competed for a brand new trophy sponsored by the hotel.
Hosted by the Royal Temple Yacht club, Ramsgate Week is affectionately known as the more relaxed version of the world-famous Cowes Week. Dozens of skippers and their crews from various classes of yacht, competed in the six-day event and for the first time, the Holiday Inn Express was one of the main sponsors of the regatta week.
The Holiday Inn Express, owned by Starboard Hotels, who’s founder and managing director Paul Callingham is himself a keen sailor, has been working closely with the Royal Temple yacht club organisers to give this hugely popular event much needed support including funding and sponsoring the final race.
Awarding the Holiday Inn Express trophy to the winning crew of the yacht Foxy, racing in the International Regatta Class, hotel General Manager David Otteson said: “This has been a fantastic event for Ramsgate and for the Holiday Inn Express. We are delighted to have been asked to get involved through our sponsorship and lend our support to what is a really special sporting occasion for the area. It has been fantastic to see al the yachts and sailors descending on Ramsgate. The Holiday Inn Express has a particular affinity with yachting and the sea, after all we are part of the Starboard Hotels family.”
Andrew Beaumont Hope, the Commodore of the Royal Temple Yacht Club, which was founded in 1857 by a group of yachtsmen sailing from the Temple Steps, on the River Thames in the centre of London, said: “We very much appreciate the support of David, the Holiday Inn Express team and Starboard Hotels. The hotel is one of the most important landmarks in the area and very important to Ramsgate. Having the sponsorship of the regatta and a new race trophy to award, has all helped to make this year’s Ramsgate Week one of the best ever. We look forward to working more closely with the Holiday Inn Express for next year’s regatta.”
Added David Otteson: “We are particularly pleased that the winning yacht of the Holiday Inn Express sponsored race is actually from the Royal Temple Yacht Club, the home venue. We are certainly looking forward to working with the yacht club again in supporting next year’s Ramsgate Week regatta. It is fantastic for the hotel team, our guests loved hearing about the racing and it created a wonderful, positive buzz around Ramsgate.”