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Howden races with Emirates GBR in SailGP’s global championship

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AUCKLAND, 16 January 2025 - The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix Team (“Emirates GBR”) announces today that Howden has become an official partner, taking Howden’s brand to new audiences around the world. This three-year, purpose-driven partnership combines two fast growing British teams, both on a mission to push boundaries and build a better future.

The 2025 Rolex SailGP Championship sees 12 crews race in 14 iconic locations across five continents in identical high-tech, high-speed 50-foot foiling catamarans. Racing faster than the wind, at speeds exceeding 100 kmh (60mph), the sport’s top performing athletes will fiercely compete for personal glory, national pride and bonus prize money of US$12.8 million. 

The partnership underlines Howden’s continued commitment to the Marine, Yachting, Sport & Entertainment and Specialty sectors, where it brings its deep expertise to clients around the world. Howden is the official insurance broker partner of Emirates GBR. Howden also partners with The British & Irish Lions and Ascot Racecourse, amongst other sponsorships.

Racing for a better sport and better planet is integral to SailGP and Emirates GBR. This week, the British team was the first to release the details of its ambitious environmental and social commitments in Season 4 in an Impact Report.  This follows its win of the SailGP Impact League, which rewards teams for reducing their carbon footprint and increasing diversity in sailing. 

Sir Ben Ainslie, Emirates GBR CEO, said: “We are excited to welcome Howden as an official partner of the Emirates GBR SailGP Team. From our very first meeting, it was clear that our values aligned, and we share the belief that in both business and sport, success requires challenging convention to achieve extraordinary results. Howden’s marine expertise and its determination to use insurance as a force for good chimes with our own work on climate education, renewable energy, gender equity and creating pathways for more diversity in the marine industry.”

David Howden, CEO, Howden, comments: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Sir Ben and the brilliant Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team.  Our organisations are true kindred spirits. We’re both celebrating expertise. We both believe in our collective power to drive innovation and inspire. We’re both committed to attracting and nurturing the best talent from all walks of life.  Now we’ve got the wind in our sails, the adrenaline is pumping, and I wish Emirates GBR every success for the coming season.”

The Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team are back in action this weekend at the second event of the 2025 Season, the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland. The crew are looking forward to continuing their strong start to the season, after Driver Dylan Fletcher MBE secured a second-place finish at his debut event, the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix, in November. UK viewers can watch Saturday and Sunday’s racing on TNT Sports.