Great thread guys. I am really hoping to do the race in the next couple of years (on a 20...us fatties don't do 18's). We don't currently have a boat, but hopefully that will change by spring in time for the race.

What sort of coin do the sponsors actually pony up? I realize that it depends on you, your presentation abilities, who you know and what the company wants, but what sort of average sponsorship aid do most teams see? Does anyone know if any of the companies involved with Tybee boats have done a post-op analysis of cost/return? Are they doing it just to be nice to us, or do they see a quantifiable return? I am guessing that Castrol must be happy, having three boats covered.

I realize people and sponsors might not be comfortable divulging this information, but an idea would be nice. So lets rephrase the question...what percentage of individual team costs are recouped through sponsors?

Also, what percentage of the hull/sails must be retained for Tybee event sponsor stickers?

The reason I am asking this is so that I can learn what to expect once I start hitting the sponsor trail, and if it looks good, I may include some of the info in my presentation (everything generic, of course).