Albany will not pay clipper fee

Albany is in the frame to be WA’s host port for the Clipper Round the World yacht race again, but the City of Albany has made it clear it would not be prepared to pay the almost $1 million fee the organisers usually charge.

After unsuccessfully bidding to be the host port for the 2011-12 race, Albany did WA proud late last year when it acted as last-minute replacement host port for the 2013-14 race after Geraldton let go of the event. Due to the short notice, it cost Albany just $50,000 to be host, and with good feedback from competitors and spectators, the City is keen to welcome the race again.

City chief executive Graham Foster said the race provided a significant cash injection into the community and there was a great atmosphere in the city during its 10-day stopover. However, he said while the City would be prepared to pay more than it did last year, the usual fee of £500,000, or about $926,000, would be too steep.

“We were lucky last year that we got it as a late bid at $50,000, and neither would we get $50,000 again,” he said.

“They understand and appreciate that. We are a small regional city … we will not be able to match what their normal fee is.”

Mr Foster said the City had not started any official negotiations, but conversations would need to start in the next couple of months.

A Clipper Ventures global business and communications director Jonathan Levy confirmed Albany would be considered as a stopover in the 2015-16 edition of the race.

“It is a competitive process which takes into account a combination of factors from facilities and supporting events to location and rights fees,” he said.

“Host port proposals, including rights fees, are negotiated between the Clipper Race and prospective hosts across a number of factors.”