Emirates and the Great Britain SailGP Team announce three-year partnership

Dubai, UAE: 16 February 2023 – Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, and the Great Britain SailGP Team, one of the world’s most successful sailing teams, today have announced a three-year sponsorship deal. Under the agreement, Emirates will become the sailing team’s first-ever Title Sponsor starting with the race in Sydney on 18 and 19 February, 2023.  

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.

Emirates recently completed its first milestone demonstration flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in one of its GE90 engines on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The airline also supports IATA’s collective industry commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and is exploring opportunities to enhance operational fuel efficiency, SAF, low carbon aviation fuels (LCAF) and renewable energy.

Emirates remains committed to reducing its carbon footprint and environmental impact through various sustainable initiatives on-board, including blankets made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and reducing single-use plastics on board its aircraft.

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.

Staunch supporterof sailing since 2004

Emirates has been a staunch supporter of sailing with its first sponsorship tracing back to 2004 as the naming sponsor of Emirates Team New Zealand.

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 6 and 7 May, 2023.  The airline will also continue to support the team for the next three seasons of the racing calendar. 

Serving the UK with 119 weekly flights

Emirates’ long-standing commitment to the UK traces back to 1987. The airline currently serves the country with 119 weekly flights including: six daily A380 services to London Heathrow; three times daily A380 service to Gatwick; daily service to Stansted (double daily starting from 1 May 2023); three times daily A380 service to Manchester; double daily service to Birmingham including an A380 service (starting from 1 July 2023); daily service to Newcastle; and a daily A380 service to Glasgow (starting from 26 March).

For more information, visit emirates.com.

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About Emirates: 

Emirates is the award-winning global airline that serves 140 cities on six continents through its efficient hub in Dubai. The airline has earned customer recognition for its industry-leading services on the ground and in the sky, delivered by a passionate workforce representing over 160 nations. Emirates supports local communities worldwide and brings people together through its vast portfolio of international sports and cultural sponsorships. 

The airline operates one the world’s largest fleet of wide-body Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft, offering spacious cabins and iconic inflight features such as its A380 Shower Spa and Onboard Lounge, and its ice inflight entertainment system available in all seats across its fleet, which has topped “best in sky” awards for 14 consecutive years.

Emirates is committed to environmentally-responsible operations and focusses on three areas: reducing emissions, consuming responsibly, and preserving wildlife and habitats.  

About The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team: 

SailGP races for a better future, championing a world powered by nature. The sport’s pinnacle league, SailGP features national teams battling in short, intense races at iconic stadium-style venues across the globe, building to the grand final – and sailing’s top prize of US$1 million. The high-tech, high-speed action features sailing’s best athletes racing in identical supercharged F50 catamarans, flying at electrifying speeds exceeding 60 mph/100 KM/H. Visit SailGP.com for more information.  

Ben Ainslie holds the majority ownership of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, alongside Chris Bake and Misland Capital which is using its platform to change the sports sponsorship model in order to bring together groups of like-minded companies, who want to collaborate and accelerate change for a wider purpose. The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team are also committed to accelerating gender equality across the sport with the teams Athena Pathway Programme run by Hannah Mills – the most successful female Olympic athlete in the world of sailing, and IOC Sustainability Ambassador.

SailGP teams are supported by Race for the Future partners who share their personal values and commitment to deliver impact for a better future.  The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team’s Race For The Future Partner is the 1851 Trust’s Protect Our Future platform which aims to empower young people through knowledge and education to take action against climate change.

Emirates Public Relations

pr@emirates.com