Getting to the Olympics is an expensive business and requires generous sponsors, writes Una McCaffrey

Mr Tom Fitzpatrick firmly believes he can bring an Irish Olympic medal home from Athens in 2004. He and fellow sailor Mr Fraser Brown form the Irish 49er sailing team - a squad so-named because it competes in the "49er" class, the fastest racing category in competitive sailing.

The 49er is a high-performance skiff racing boat capable of travelling at speeds of more than 30 knots. Each 49er costs in the region of €19,000. As a man whose team has just bought two, and is likely to buy another before long, it is not surprising to hear Mr Fitzpatrick describe his chosen competition as "the Formula One of sailing". The 49er is without doubt an expensive way to get on the water, and that's before the Olympics even enter the picture.

To qualify for competition in Athens, Mr Fitzpatrick and Mr Brown must achieve a high-performance standard in a series of international competitions, such as the 49er World Championships, over the coming two years.

Such events can take place anywhere in the world and usually require competitors to spend long, and expensive, periods away from home. As well as this, such high levels of fitness are required to make competition worthwhile that sailors have no option but to commit themselves to full-time, long-term (and again, expensive) training programmes. In other words, they can not pursue salaried careers outside sailing if they want to give themselves a real chance of winning.

Mr Fitzpatrick says it is "hard to put an exact figure" on the price of an Olympic 49er bid but admits that a few hundred thousand euros is not too far from the mark.

Part of this cost is borne by the Irish Sports Council, which has recognised the 49ers as elite athletes under its carding scheme and therefore awards annual grants to the team. Last year, this funding amounted to £7,000 (€8,888), and it is likely to double in 2002 as the council acknowledges the team's rise to 31st place in the world rankings. Welcome as it is, this money unfortunately represents a small percent of what Mr Fitzpatrick and Mr Brown need to fulfil their dream. The only other option for the sailors has been to turn to the corporate world for sponsorship support.

Initially, the sailors addressed the issue by approaching potential sponsors with a "pitch" on the publicity that an association with the team could bring - something along the lines of "we're number 31 in the world, we're highly visible and we're a floating billboard".

As time moves on and the team's reputation grows, however, the sponsorship relationship is shifting a little, with companies now often making the first move. "We put the word out and to some extent they come to us," says Mr Fitzpatrick.

The 49ers' current sponsorship backing takes three forms: lead sponsorship, associate sponsorship or "campaign partnership". In broad terms, the lead and associate sponsor deals involve the donation of hard cash, while campaign partners tend to donate services or goods that will help the team during training or competition.

At this time, two lead sponsors (VHI Healthcare and Salesforce.com), one associate sponsor (Kellogg's Nutri-grain) and eight campaign partners are on board. The latter group includes boat companies, sportswear manufacturers, a printing company and a website developer. The Irish Sailing Association is also a campaign partner.

The role of the Web developer has been particularly significant for the 49ers, who have managed to do much of the business of attracting sponsors through their website, www.49ersailing.com. This site, developed for free by Parallel IT, has been registered on all the major search engines and currently attracts more than 1,000 hits every month, with this number soaring during peak sailing season.

"That really helps to give us a professionally run image and to show that we're well organised," says Mr Fitzpatrick. "And that attracts sponsors."

The site features a section dedicated to sponsorship which, in addition to detailing current arrangements, highlights areas in which the team is open to new offers. A public relations contract is still up for grabs, for example.

To date, sponsorship has worked well for the 49ers but it is important to recognise that the benefits in financial relationships such as these do not come without some responsibilities. In other words, sponsors will rarely hand over the money without negotiating some kind of return in advance.

In the case of sailing, one of the most obvious gains for a sponsor is to see their organisation's name and logo on the side of a photogenic craft - a fact which arguably makes it easier for sailors to attract sponsors than, say, a high jumper.

"It's not a hard sell," admits Mr Fitzpatrick.

There are other expected returns too, however. Mr Fitzpatrick says that the "list of deliverables" is different for each sponsor, with requirements varying between posing for promotional pictures or speaking at events, to corporate entertainment, where the sailors would bring the sponsor's clients or staff out for a spin on the 49er.

There are other factors to consider too, however. For example, one sponsorship offer had to be turned down because it did not sit well with the healthy image of an existing partner. Alcohol and tobacco companies need not apply.

At a fundamental level, the sailors are supremely conscious that if it weren't for sponsors, they would be unable to compete as they would like for their country and for this they are grateful.

"Our sponsorship with the corporate world allows us to compete to the best of our ability," says Mr Fitzpatrick.

"They help us to compete on a level playing field."