Groupe Beneteau named sponsor of US Sailing Team and ISAF World Cup

by US Sailing on 22 Oct 2014 Groupe Beneteau today announced its sponsorship of the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider and ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami. Groupe Beneteau, the parent company of Jeanneau and Beneteau sailing yachts and Lagoon catamarans, is the world’s leading yacht builder, and will now become a significant presence in high-performance sailing with its support of both the US national sailing team and North America’s premier Olympic and Paralympic classes regatta. The partnerships are effective immediately, and will continue through the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

'Thanks to the generosity, vision and commitment of the leadership of the American entities of Beneteau, Jeanneau and Lagoon, the three Groupe Beneteau sailing brands, we are excited about this first step in support of the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider and the brands’ signature sponsorship of the most important international one design regatta in North America, ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami,' said Wayne L. Burdick, President of Groupe Beneteau’s North American Boat Operations.

As a Silver-Level supporter of the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider, Groupe Beneteau will be a key contributor to the effort to get American sailors onto the podium in Rio 2016. The team is comprised of the top-performing sailors in ten Olympic and three Paralympic boat classes, and competes at major regattas around the world on a four-year campaign for The Games. 'Groupe Beneteau and the Beneteau, Jeanneau, and Lagoon yacht brands, are providing a significant boost to our athletes and our program as a whole,' said Josh Adams, Managing Director of US Olympic Sailing. 'We are excited to welcome the world’s leading yacht manufacturer to the team, and for the start of a mutually rewarding partnership.'

Groupe Beneteau and its main yacht brands of Beneteau, Jeanneau, and Lagoon will also become main sponsors of ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, which draws the best international sailing talent to compete in the United States each January. These world-class boating brands will be highly visible at both the regatta venue itself, and to a global audience.

'ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami is a cornerstone event on the international racing calendar, and it is hard to imagine a better partner for the event than a yacht manufacturer with the visibility and reach of Groupe Beneteau,' said Gary Bodie, Regatta Chair and ISAF (International Sailing Federation) Council Member. Beneteau, Jeanneau and Lagoon yachts will be used by the event’s Race Committee, and will also host VIP guests on the water.

'It will be truly wonderful to see our logos sailing with the US team, and to see a fleet of our boats out on the course as the primary vessels used by the race committee and visiting dignitaries,' said Burdick. 'When one considers the opportunity to interact with the best of the best in competitive sailing, ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami is the place we need to be as the three brands are the top leaders in worldwide sailing of their respective segments.'