AUCKLAND, New Zealand - December 11, 2020 - SailGP has announced a collaboration with world-leading high-performance sailmaker Doyle Sails. New Zealand owned and operated, Doyle Sails is home to some of the best sailors and sailmakers in the world who constantly push boundaries to innovate and reimagine sailing. Doyle Sails will be the Official Sailmaker to the global league in a three year deal that also includes a partnership with Peter Burling and Blair Tuke’s New Zealand SailGP Team.
Doyle Sails is no stranger to working on innovative solutions for high-performance yachts. Over the last 40 years, Doyle Sails has climbed to be one of the most recognized sail-making brands in the world, onboard many grand prix race yachts and superyachts.
Sharing SailGP’s Race for the Future vision, Doyle Sails has had a focus on sustainability for many years, striving to make the best environmental, social and economic decisions across the business and its global Doyle network.
With a primary focus on reducing its environmental impact, Doyle Sails has several lofts around the world operating at zero carbon levels and the majority operating close to carbon neutral. In conjunction with global manufacturing processes that ensure minimal waste and a commitment to responsible and ethical sourcing, Doyle Sails continues to drive sustainable choices that have a real and measurable impact.
Specifically, Doyle Sails continues to challenge itself to push its sustainability goals further – ensuring that sails have as little impact on the environment as possible. What happens to a sail at the end of its life has always been a question with few answers, and Doyle Sails is committed to working toward closing the circle.
Brad Marsh, SailGP tech team operations manager, said: “We had no hesitation selecting Doyle Sails for SailGP. They are a company that is at the forefront of a lot of technology in sail making and sail design and we knew they had the expertise, innovation and commitment to deliver on such a project. We also knew that success would be just as important for them as it is for us. The result was that the teams were unanimous in their praise of the quality and service that Doyle Sails delivered.”
New Zealand SailGP Team co-CEO Peter Burling said: “We are stoked to have Doyle Sails on board. To have a world class sailmaker that’s owned and operated out of New Zealand and shares our environmental values is a pretty special alliance to have.”
Doyle Sails International CEO Mike Sanderson said: “Doyle Sails has been working with SailGP since the inaugural season in 2019, and for that to now continue into Season 2 and 3, and hopefully beyond, is exciting. The 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.
“Doyle Sails is all about supporting sailors who share the same passion for sailing as we do. SailGP is the most exciting global racing championship with a fleet of world-class sailors, and with the added opportunity of Peter and Blair’s New Zealand team, it will enable our whole Doyle group to be part of it. It's a partnership we’re very proud of and we’re looking forward to seeing the whole fleet back out on the water in 2021.”
ABOUT SAILGP // SailGP is racing redefined, powered by nature and driven by purpose. Established in 2018 and headquartered in London and New York, SailGP is an annual, global sports championship featuring bold, cutting-edge technology and awe-inspiring athleticism. The fan-centric, inshore racing takes place in some of the most iconic harbors around the globe and offers the sport’s largest monetary prize of $1 million. Rival national teams battle it out in identical supercharged F50 catamarans, engineered for intense racing at electrifying speeds exceeding 50 knots (nearly 60 mph/100 kph). Visit SailGP.com for more information.
ABOUT DOYLE SAILS // Around the world, Doyle Sails has over 500 sailmakers, in 46 different locations all equally passionate about sailing – living and breathing our ethos ‘Global Leaders and Local Experts.’
As sailors, our obsession with sailing connects us to the water. The water is our playground, a sanctuary where we seek enjoyment, a competitive playing field where we race as competitors; it’s sometimes our home, and always a place that unlocks our sense of adventure wherever that adventure might take us. Behind every adventure is a Doyle sailor who shares this same obsession as you. We put your journey at the very heart of what we do to deliver the ultimate enjoyment and performance, powering our constant need to push the boundaries in sail design and innovation, to reimagine sailing.
From dinghies, club racers and cruising yachts, through to Grand Prix campaigns and Superyachts, we are your experts. For more, visit doylesails.com.
CONTACTS //
Sacha Kemp, Head of PR | skemp@sailgp.com | UK: +44 7772 577129
Louise Hyde, Head of Marketing | lou.hyde@doylesails.com | NZ: +64 9 820 9140
