DUBAI, UAE, 18 November 2024: Emirates has confirmed a five-season global sponsorship with SailGP, making it the exclusive Global Airline Partner of the annual sail racing championship – a first for the league.
Emirates will continue as the Title Partner of the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix, which will take place in Mina Rashid from 23 to 24 November. This will ensure that the Dubai fixture continues to be an iconic event within the SailGP annual calendar, helping grow attendance and promoting Dubai as an attractive destination for racing fans and enthusiasts.
The airline will also become the Title Partner of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team’s new home event in Portsmouth. The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth will mark SailGP’s long-awaited return to the UK, bringing top-flight racing action back to British shores from 19 to 20 July 2025.
SailGP is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports and entertainment properties, with 12 national teams confirmed for the 2025 season. The league’s annual competition calendar spans iconic destinations across five continents, with at least 13 events next season.
Registering significant growth in fan engagement, global broadcast and digital reach, and ticketed attendance at its events, SailGP events also enjoy a strong crossover with major destinations on the Emirates network.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group, said: “Our expanded relationship with SailGP is based on a shared commitment to bring the growing sport of sailing to a broader global audience on and off the waters. SailGP is emerging as a pioneering force in the sport, focusing on establishing connections with a new legion of loyal SailGP fans through impactful experiences. Emirates and SailGP also have a common vision and brand promise – to ‘sport better’ and ‘fly better,’ driven by excellence and innovation.
We’re also a proud Title Partner of the events in Dubai and Portsmouth, which will kickstart the competition in our home city and bring sailing back to the UK in 2025 to become a permanent fixture on Sail-GP’s vibrant global calendar. We look forward to seeing sporting talent display their strength, passion, and technique at the highest level over the coming seasons.”
Sir Russell Coutts, CEO of SailGP, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Emirates on board as SailGP’s Official Airline Partner, strengthening an enduring relationship with the world-class carrier heading into our most exciting season to date. Emirates has a long-standing association with some of the world’s most-loved sporting clubs, tournaments, and events, and we are enormously proud to join the Emirates family. Emirates will be a key partner in helping SailGP reach new audiences through a shared passion for sporting excellence and a commitment to innovation.”
As a Global Partner and Airline Partner of SailGP, Emirates will have an expanded brand presence across SailGP’s Emmy award-winning LiveLine broadcast production. Features including “Emirates Finish” and “Emirates Fly Time” will make their television debut in the upcoming season-opener in Dubai.
Emirates will continue its proud association with sports officiating by becoming SailGP’s official Umpire partner, working closely with the league to amplify the role of its officials – working remotely from SailGP’s broadcast studio in London – and further explaining the sport for fans in SailGP’s 212+ broadcast territories. Emirates will also allow racing fans to watch SailGP races on all flights via the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice.
The airline will have onsite branding across the SailGP Race Stadium, trophy presentation, and numerous other prominent areas. In addition, the Emirates’ logo will appear on all of SailGP’s high-tech F50 catamarans competing in the Title Events in Dubai and Portsmouth.
Other benefits include marketing, digital, and social media rights, as well as world-class hospitality at SailGP’s top-tier hospitality offering, the Adrenaline Lounge. Emirates and SailGP will also collaborate to deliver community programmes that are in line with SailGP’s local impact strategy.
Emirates has been a staunch supporter of sailing, with its first sponsorship dating back to 2004 as the naming sponsor of Emirates Team New Zealand, five-time America’s Cup champions. Emirates is also a proud sponsor of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, one of the league’s most successful sailing teams. The airline will continue to support the team for the next three seasons of the racing calendar. Emirates’ signature “Fly Better” logo is visible on all the Emirates GBR F50, with prominent branding on the team’s clothing, sailing apparel and equipment.
SailGP’s 2025 Season gets underway on November 23-24, unfolding over two action-packed days on the pristine waters of Mina Rashid. The Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix, presented by P&O Marinas, is set to be a flagship event on the regional sporting calendar – the third time SailGP has visited the city and the second edition with Emirates as Title Partner. The remaining tickets are on sale now at SailGP.com/Dubai.
Tickets for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth go on sale next month (pre-sale on 9 December 2024 and general sale on 11 December 2024). For more information, visit SailGP.com/greatbritain
