Luxury watch brand Rolex has become SailGP’s inaugural title partner, in a tie-up running for the next 10 years, as the international sailing series prepares to head into its fifth season. Through a deal unveiled yesterday, Rolex has expanded its previous tie-up with the league (it has been a SailGP partner since that property launched in 2019), in a deal described by the league’s managing director, Andy Thompson, to Sportcal (GlobalData Sport) as “one of the most significant in sailing history.” The tie-up means the series will be known as the Rolex SailGP Championship for the next decade.
Another element of the deal will see Rolex become title partner for the Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix, which in the 2024-25 campaign will take place from March 15 to 16. In addition, Rolex will continue as SailGP’s official timepiece through the end of season 14. Speaking to Sportcal as the deal was made public, Thompson said: “With Rolex, they’ve been with us since day one, they’ve been synonymous with us as a property.
We sat down and considered how we could do more together, this was the natural next step for them, enabling them to take more ownership of the championship and solidify another long-term relationship. “The deal is the most significant in sailing history. This is a significant investment over a 10-year period, which again shows the trust we’ve built up over our first four seasons.
” He added, regarding the lengthy nature of the tie-up: “If you have a ti.
