Rolex and yachting

Flying towards victory

Facing the unpredictable

Whether pushing for speed in coastal regattas or showing resilience in offshore races, yachting demands unwavering precision at every moment. At the crossroads of competitive sport and the art of navigation, it combines strategic thinking, mastery of the elements and state-of-the-art technology. For nearly 70 years, Rolex has supported this discipline where every race is a lesson before the ocean. A crew’s triumph over the unpredictable.

You’ve got to be able to take the bad events with the good ones. You’ve got to learn to deal with them and learn to take as much as you can from those.

Hannah Mills, Rolex Testimonee

The most competitive events

Yacht racing is a sport of precision and strategy, where perfect coordination and split-second reactions are key. Rolex supports the most prestigious and spectacular events in the discipline across the globe. The brand is Title Partner and Official Timepiece of the Rolex SailGP Championship – the fastest racing circuit in the world. It is also the Official Timepiece of the 52 SUPER SERIES, featuring TP52s, a class of ultra-high-performance monohulls. Rolex also partners offshore events, including renowned races such as the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

Teamwork

Rolex celebrates those who lead their crews to excellence. Alongside sailing legends Paul Cayard, Robert Scheidt and Sir Ben Ainslie, the brand supports skippers competing in the Rolex SailGP Championship: Australia’s Tom Slingsby, Britain’s Hannah Mills and Brazil’s Martine Grael. All recipients of the Rolex World Sailor of the Year award, these remarkable athletes who steer their teams to victory embody the spirit of achievement and relentless pursuit of progress.

When I decided I wanted to be a professional sailor, there was not really a career path. Only the top one per cent of sailors were able to make a career, so I knew then I had to be one of the very best in the world.

Tom Slingsby, Rolex Testimonee, three-time Rolex World Sailor of the Year

Honouring exceptional journeys

It is the highest accolade in the world of yachting. Each November, the Rolex World Sailor of the Year award honours one woman and one man whose outstanding performances have defined the past season. Presented jointly by Rolex and World Sailing – the sport’s international governing federation, for which Rolex has been Official Timepiece since 2001 – the award celebrates excellence at the very highest level.

Yacht clubs
The starting point for future achievements

For almost 70 years, Rolex has maintained close ties with the world of yachting, supporting the most prestigious yacht clubs around the globe. Guardians of the sport’s rich heritage, these institutions also help shape its future. Hosting regattas and organizing world-renowned offshore races, these clubs provide sailors with an exceptional stage on which to write the history of the sport.

In sailing, precision is key to performance.

Sir Ben Ainslie, Rolex Testimonee

Precision as a requisite

Starting strongly, coordinating crews, optimizing boat trajectories; precision is crucial at every stage of the race. Sailors have, therefore, always sought the most accurate tools to guide them.

Rolex has created a tool watch specifically designed for competitive yachting – the Yacht-Master – highlighting the natural convergence between yachting and precision watchmaking.