Dubai: SailGP, the most exciting racing on water, makes a highly anticipated return to England’s south coast this summer with Emirates. The world’s largest international airline is a Title Partner of the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix Portsmouth, Global Partner and Exclusive Airline Partner of SailGP, and Naming Partner of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team.  

Taking place on 19 and 20 July in Portsmouth, the airline will be onsite offering a range of ‘fly better’ experiences including VIP packages, unrivalled hospitality, exclusive tours Emirates Great Britain SailGP Tech base, and exciting competitions.

Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, said: “Emirates has been a staunch supporter of sailing since 2004, and we are delighted to help bring the iconic racing event back to the UK through our partnership with SailGP. Together, we’ll take the sport to new levels and bring fans closer to the action. We look forward to seeing the incredible talent, ground-breaking technology, and rivalry among the teams as they take to the tumultuous Solent waters both this year and beyond.’’

'Sail better’ with Emirates

Fans can look forward to an action-packed two-day tournament featuring ‘sail better’ moments with Emirates. This includes:

• ‘Spin to Win:’ Interactive promotional booths offering an exciting chance to ‘Spin to Win’ exclusive branded seat cushions and a fantastic holiday for two to Dubai, including roundtrip Emirates Economy Class tickets and a 5-night stay, courtesy of Emirates Holidays.
• ‘Snap and keep:’ Emirates’ iconic cabin crew will also be on-site capturing photos and gifting fans branded Polaroid keepsakes to take home. Fans can get their hands on a range of merchandise including branded shirts, jackets, and sunhats, available at the Emirates Official Store in-store and online.
• Emirates Great Britain SailGP Tech base: Emirates’ guests from the Rolex SailGP Adrenaline Lounge can also enjoy exclusive tours of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team tech base in Portsmouth, offering a rare opportunity to get up close with elite athletes and cutting-edge wing-sailed boats.
• Emirates’ iconic branding: Emirates will take centre stage at the event, with bold onsite and virtual branding across the racecourse, stadium, trophy presentation, and finish line—in addition to other highly-visible locations. The airline’s iconic logo will also be showcased on every cutting-edge F50 catamaran competing in the event.
• Catch the action onboard: Passengers travelling with Emirates can also follow the action onboard at cruising altitude via Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra on the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice. The airline will also feature behind-the-scenes SailGP docuseries - ‘Racing on the Edge. 

Exclusive tour of ‘Emirates World’

Earlier this month, Emirates GBR team members, Hannah Mills, Dylan Fletcher, and Kai Hockley visited the Emirates World Travel Store in London’s South Kensington. The athletes experienced first-hand a flavour of the airline’s renowned travel experience including its First-Class private suite, a full-sized A380 Onboard Lounge and Premium Economy seating. The athletes also participated in fun challenges including a SailGP inspired game of Articulate in the full-sized Emirates A380 Onboard Lounge. 

Emirates sponsorships in the UK

Emirates has championed the sport of sailing since 2004 as the naming sponsor of Emirates Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup. The global SailGP racing calendar will see the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team compete in the remaining races in the 2024/2025 season with the iconic Emirates branded F50 boat featured in upcoming races in Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, and the UAE. 

Emirates was the first ever naming sponsor of one of Britain’s tallest landmarks outside London, Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth (from 2015 – 2020). The airline also had close ties with the America’s Cup World Series event that took place in Portsmouth in 2015, and again in 2016, as the Title Sponsor of Emirates Team New Zealand. Emirates was also announced as ‘Presenting Partner’ of the America’s Cup World Series event which was scheduled to take place in Portsmouth in 2020.

In the UK, the airline is also a proud partner of Arsenal FC, the Emirates FA Cup, Lancashire Cricket Club in addition to Emirates Old Trafford, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, The Championships - Wimbledon, as well as the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup.

Emirates currently serves the UK with 133 weekly flights including: six times daily A380 to London Heathrow; three times daily A380 service to Gatwick; twice daily service to Stansted; three times daily A380 service to Manchester; twice daily service to Birmingham (including a daily A380 service); daily service to Newcastle; daily A380 service to Glasgow; and a daily A350 service to Edinburgh.

The airline’s extensive network of more than 140 destinations offers customers access to an array of onward connections to Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, Africa, and Australasia.