Helly Hansen and the Germany SailGP Team join forces
November 06, 2024
2 min read
We're thrilled to partner up with the Germany SailGP Team. As the official clothing supplier for the 2024-25 season, we're equipping the team with performance-driven gear as they take on some of the world's most exciting on-water races.
With adrenaline-fueled races across iconic sailing locations, SailGP is a global event featuring national teams battling it out in identical hydrofoiling F50 catamarans, flying at speeds approaching 100 km/h. Taking place all over the world in all kinds of weather conditions, SailGP Season 5 starts in Dubai in November 2024.
Putting sailors and gear to the test
“SailGP is unlike any other regatta,” says Gabriele Galaverni, Brand Partnerships Director at Helly Hansen. “With record-breaking speeds, this race truly puts sailing’s top athletes to the test, and we are excited to partner with the Germany SailGP Team for this next season.
"We’re committed to providing this team of experienced, world-class athletes with the best possible technical gear to give them the competitive advantage as they go head-to-head with their rival national teams around the world.”
Tim Krieglstein, CEO of the Germany SailGP Team, is delighted about the partnership, “SailGP is the world's most exciting race on-water and an interplay between the most diverse demands and challenges for our team – also in terms of weather.
"In our first season, we dealt with heat, strong winds, rain and storms. With Helly Hansen as our outfitter and official sponsor, we are perfectly prepared for the various weather and racing conditions at the venues. The technical equipment allows the athletes to fully concentrate on racing.”
It's a great opportunity for us to develop the equipment together with the designers at Helly Hansen. This means we can adapt it perfectly to our needs for racing. Helly Hansen's many years of experience with technical sailing apparel and our experiences on the water are an ideal combination for developing the optimal equipment for the coming season.
The Gear
As Official Clothing Supplier to the Germany SailGP Team, the sailors will be provided with pinnacle pieces from Helly Hansen’s aerodynamic HydroPower collection, including the Foil Shell Smock and HP Foil Pro Bib.
Racing in high-tech, high-speed F50 catamarans, the team will depend on their gear to enable them to push harder and faster, and Helly Hansen’s designers will work closely with the team to refine and test new features and designs.
The Team
The Germany SailGP Team entered the league with a bang at the beginning of Season 4 and has impressed since its debut, with Olympian Erik Heil behind the wheel. Alongside Heil, the team includes a talented sailing lineup with experienced wing trimmer Stuart Bithell, flight controller James Wierzbowski, and the reigning U21 World Champion in the 49er FX Anna Barth, who is the team's strategist.
Besides a stellar cast of athletes, the team boasts a star-studded ownership team, comprising Thomas Riedel, president of the eponymous leading communications company Riedel Communications, and four-time F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel.
The team opens the season together with ten other teams at the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix on November 23, 2024. The race will visit thirteen other iconic international cities, culminating in a winner-takes-all Grand Final in November 2025.