SailGP, the world’s most exciting race on water, has extended its partnership with world-leading sailmaker, Doyle Sails. The New Zealand-owned and operated company entered a three year partnership with SailGP in 2020 and will continue to be the global championship’s Official Sailmaker for Seasons 4 and 5.
Doyle Sails is home to the best sailors and sailmakers in the world, supporting sailors across the globe for more than four decades. The world-renowned sailmaker is now recognised as the sailmaker of choice to the world's most innovative, high-performance racing yachts.
The partnership extends beyond a shared passion for sailing, as both SailGP and Doyle Sails are purpose leaders in their respective industries. As a global company, Doyle Sails recognises that its business activities have an impact on the planet. Ocean health is a key aspect to the sustainability of both businesses in their shared quest to Race for the Future.
In the first three years of the partnership, SailGP and Doyle Sails collaborated together to produce a limited edition circular luggage collection made from repurposed high-performance Doyle Sails from SailGP F50s alongside other sail-making materials. Sustainability is a foundational pillar to Doyle Sails’ commitment to a better future. To date, Doyle Sails has recycled 1200KG of manufacturing process backing plastic, has integrated 6500 sqm of Stratis SailArt - an environmentally friendly printing option that removes all toxic paints from the environment while reducing overall weight of sails - and more than 90 sails have been given a second life through its Circular Life Project.
Michaella McCloskey, SailGP Technical Director, said: “This extension highlights the mutual respect and success both SailGP and Doyle Sails have enjoyed from this partnership. For our league, it ensures the F50s will be fitted with the best high-performance product on the water in Seasons 4 and 5. With our biggest fleet to date this season and additional training hours for a lot of our athletes, we rely on Doyle Sails to help deliver the best racing possible for our sport. The fact Doyle Sails shares our commitment to purpose adds extra depth to the partnership."
Emma Hendy, Doyle Sails International’s Chief of Commercial, commented, “Our success to date shows a strong partnership between two companies that share similar philosophies across performance, technology, innovation and sustainability as we both continue to redefine conventional sailing on the global stage. We’re all about supporting sailors who share the same passion for sailing as we do and we’re proud to extend our partnership with SailGP as they continue to deliver the most exciting global racing championship, with a fleet of world-class sailors”.
On September 9-10, SailGP begins the European leg of its championship at the France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez, then heads on to the ROCKWOOL Italy Sail Grand Prix | Taranto two weeks later and the Spain Sail Grand Prix | Cadíz - Andalucía in October. After a journey across the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions Sail GP’s fourth season will culminate in the Grand Final in San Francisco on July 13-14, 2024.