Emirates and the Great Britain SailGP Team, a global leading sailing team, have partnered in a three-year sponsorship under which, Emirates will be the sailing team’s first-ever Title Sponsor starting with the race in Sydney on February 18-19.
Emirates’ signature "Fly Better" logo will be visible on the Great British F50 race boat, with prominent branding on the centre of the wing and hull. The airline’s iconic logo will also appear on the front and back of the team’s clothing, sailing apparel and equipment.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said: "We’re delighted to announce our new partnership with one of the world’s most successful sailing teams. Emirates and the Great Britain SailGP Team share common values, ambitions, and drive – making this partnership a natural fit. Together, we’ll take the sport to new levels, bring fans closer to the action, and deliver world-class experiences to customers worldwide. We also look forward to working closely with our partners on joint sustainability initiatives that will truly make an impact - on and off the water."
Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team CEO & Driver, Sir Ben Ainslie, said: "Myself and the rest of the Great Britain team are thrilled to have Emirates, one of the most iconic sporting brands in the world, on board this journey with us. Sport has the ability to inspire like nothing else. At a time where the SailGP league is seeing unprecedented growth in the form of new race locations, teams, owners, and Season 4’s calendar revealing strong continuation of this trend, together as partners we will be able to take both the team and the sport to new heights.
“This is a pinnacle partnership, one that brings both commercial value as well as supports our sustainability ambitions to support three million young people to take climate action."
Sponsorship rights and benefits
Under the sponsorship deal, the airline will enjoy a wide-range of benefits including: marketing, digital and social media rights; VIP hospitality tickets; meet and greet access to the athletes, including Sir Ben Ainslie and Hannah Mills, OBE, the world’s most decorated male and female Olympic sailors; and exclusive opportunities such as "sixth sailor experience" for Emirates fans to experience the action first-hand on the water.
Sailing into a sustainable future
In line with the UAE declaring 2023 as the "Year of Sustainability" – the new sponsorship will also open more opportunities for Emirates and the Great Britain SailGP Team to drive joint global environmental campaigns with the common goals of reducing emissions, consuming responsibly, and preserving biodiversity.
With the 1851 Trust, purpose partner to the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, the team have declared their ambition to inspire three million young people to take action to protect nature, people, and the planet through the Protect Our Future climate digital education platform.
Leading renewable energy company, Low Carbon, has just signed a three-year partnership with the team and will support the 1851 Trust to produce world-class, climate-focussed education resources, to inspire and enable young people to act, whilst building global communities of climate champions.
Emirates and Great Britain SailGP Team will also support wider sustainability issues such as gender equality. SailGP has launched a women's pathway to create an inclusive sporting championship that has gender equity at its heart – where the best athletes have equal opportunity to compete on the F50.' Emirates Group has also recently signed the UAE Gender Balance Council pledge, committing to increase the representation of women in leadership roles to 30 percent by 2025.
The global sailing racing calendar will see the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team compete in the remaining races in Season 3 SailGP, with the iconic Emirates branded F50 boats featured in Sydney, Christchurch, and during the grand finale in San Francisco on May 6 and 7, 2023. The airline will also continue to support the team for the next three seasons of the racing calendar. – TradeArabia News Service