The media and marketing industry swapped sales for sails at the inaugural UnLtd Big Splash regatta last Friday, generating over $60,000 for social impact.

The inaugural event saw ten highly competitive teams race head to head across Sydney Harbour on Elliot sailing boats whilst generating much needed funds for UnLtd’s charity partners working to combat youth disadvantage. The sailors were cheered on by the guests on the spectator boat enjoying a far more leisurely cruising experience. After several races, sweat and blisters, Team Mindshare sailed to victory and were crowned the winners of the Big Splash, closely followed by Yahoo!7 and AdRoll.

The event was conceived by Simon Hopkins from Contentshed and sponsored by AdRoll, Advertising Week APAC, Appletiser, Contentshed, Google, GumGum, Mindshare, Oatley Wines, Pacific Magazines, RhythmOne, Sizmek, The Trade Desk, Ultimate Asset, Venture Group and Yahoo!7.

Edward Bate from Mindshare said: “We had such an amazing day learning to sail and knowing that it was all for an important cause made it all the more worthwhile. Winning the trophy was the icing on the cake and we can’t wait to defend our title next year!”

UnLtd CEO Chris Freel commented: “The Big Splash was a great example of how our industry coming together can make a huge difference to many children’s lives. To generate over $60k is a brilliant effort and those funds will go a long way to supporting our charity partners. It was great to see such a cross section of the industry unite for good. A huge thanks to our sponsors, Simon Hopkins, and to the UnLtd team for launching a very successful and enjoyable event.”

Simon Hopkins, Founder & Managing Director of Contentshed added: “I’m delighted to have been able to combine my passion for sailing and giving back to the community with this event. It’s been great to see so much support from our industry for this event and for UnLtd.”

The day generated over $62,000 for UnLtd charity partners working hard to help children and young people at risk. One of the charity partners, Musicians Making a Difference who use the power of music, dance and mentoring to inspire young people to break the negative cycles of abuse and destructive behavior and make their lives remarkable, also performed at the event.

Matt Scheckner, Executive Director at Advertising Week, also addressed attendees through announcing key details about Advertising Week’s inaugural event for the region, to take place in Sydney next year.

Clive Prosser, Director of Advertising Week APAC commented: “We are thrilled to be a part of this initiative, and congratulate the team at UnLtd for Friday’s event—it is fantastic to see our industry come together in this way for such an important cause. Bringing together a community will be a huge part of the first Advertising Week APAC, to be held in Sydney next year, and we invite everyone in the industry at every level to get involved.”