Branislav Erac and Ozren Tosic, two of Serbia's most experienced sailors, are campaigning in Star class (men's keelboat). Erac and Tosic are the first ever Serbian sailors to race in Star class and have made history by completing the January 2010 World Championship in Rio de Janiero. In January 2010 they also placed third in the Taca Darke de Matas, the oldest Star Class regatta in South America, and for the first time appeared in the international sailing media.
Erac and Tosic have already shown they can overcome the barriers of no boat, no money and no sea (Serbia is a landlocked country). They have also demonstrated that they can inspire interest and confidence as they have a top level and experienced coach, have a training boat at their disposal, logistics provided by sailing clubs in Slovenia and Italy, airfare and other sponsorship.
On their return from Rio de Janeiro they publicly launched their 2012 Olympic campaign, ramping up efforts for sponsorship and raising a much higher profile. It is likely that sponsorship will come from private individuals as there is no formal funding available from official sailing or national sources for such a campaign. If the team does manage to secure a place at the Olympics then state support may kick in, Even then it is not sure if this would involve getting a new boat in which to compete, the prerequisite for a top result: a new boat costs between 60,000 € and 120,000 € . Thus the team are on their own and all support for the campaign must be personally raised
The Erac-Tosic team face a big challenge. They will need to compete in a series of top ranking events for Star class in several countries and eventually qualify for one of 15 national Olympic places at the Star Class World Championship in either Perth in December 2011 or Marseilles in 2012. Both sailors are in their late forties and will be competing against athletes who are mostly well-funded and from countries with strong national Olympic sailing support. This will require intense personal committment for Erac, Tosic and their families, high levels of personal fitness, hundreds of hours of practice on the water, great skill and good luck. Erac and Tosic plan to permanently change the aspirations of Serbian sailors and to inspire people of all nationalities, ages and backgrounds to follow their dreams.
Erac and Tosic believe that champions are born and develop out of families and communities and that an Olympic sailing campaign can positively effect and inspire those around it. Erac and Tosic have already made it to the World Championship in Rio, now they are aiming higher. For this they will need to raise 400,000 Euros in corporate sponsorship and donations.
Team ET offers a unique opportunity for corporate partners. Branislav Erac and Ozren Tosic are convincing ambassadors and leaders of Serbian sailing and are skilled at dealing with the media. They have a multi-disciplinary international support team committed to excellence. The visual images, both photographs and videos, of the Star Boat on the water are compelling. Both boat and sails lend themselves to corporate endorsement. The human interest story behind these two sailors has wide appeal, and includes the sailing and sporting communities, business, young people, middle-aged people and the diaspora. The campaign has excellent access to media channels and a strong communication team in place.
