World Match Racing Tour unveils a new trophy and partnership

by WMRT on 8 Nov 2011 The World Match Racing Tour unveiled its partnership with Garrard this evening by presenting the new, highly coveted ISAF Match Racing World Championship trophy at Garrard’s flagship store in Mayfair, London. The partnership between the world’s oldest jewellers and the world’s leading professional sailing series marks the next major chapter for the two brands as they continue their expansion globally.

Joined by a host of special guests, Eric Deardorff - CEO of Garrard, Patrick Lim - Executive Chairman of the World Match Racing Tour and Peter Gilmour - President of the World Match Racing Tour unveiled the unique silver, nautical inspired trophy which was both designed and created by Garrard. Guests included Olympians Colin Jackson CBE and Mark Foster, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British designer Ozwald Boateng OBE, and Strictly Come Dancing stars Brendan Cole and Darren Gough.

Garrard is the new Official Jeweller and Silversmith to the Tour which currently hosts 8 World Championship events around the globe from Germany, Switzerland and Sweden to Korea, Bermuda and Malaysia. The collaboration continues the jeweller’s rich sporting heritage where its famous hallmark can be found on renowned trophies including the America's Cup, the Cricket World Cup and the FA Premier League trophy. The new trophy will be awarded at the season finale, the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia in November, to the 2011 ISAF Match Racing World Champion, a title currently held by Britain’s triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie who won the 2010 World Match Racing Tour.

The new Tour trophy is made from sterling silver with partial gilt and enamel, and adopts a nautical theme complete with spiralling waves, nautical rope detail and the Tour’s famous double sails symbol which sits at the top of the trophy. The trophy perfectly reflects the combative, heated nature of match racing where teams go one-on-one in a winner-takes-all battle on the water. Also unveiled at the event to mark the new partnership was the British Jewellery House’s new Nautical Collection, which features a selection of rings, bracelets and cufflinks.

To cap the evening, Garrard also pledged to donate 10% of any purchase made as a result of the unveiling to the Prince’s Trust and to Sentebale, the latter a Charity founded by Prince Harry that Garrard proudly supports.

Commenting on the evening, Eric Deardorff - CEO of Garrard, said: 'The evening has been a fitting event to start the trophy’s journey to Malaysia where it will be presented to the winner of the highly coveted World Match Racing Tour. It’s an exciting time for Garrard to be partnering with the Tour as we look to grow this historic British house globally, especially to new audiences in Asia, and it is befitting of our historical sailing connections.'

Peter Gilmour - President of the WMRT, added: 'We’ve been delighted to host, alongside Garrard, such a great turn out this evening to unveil the Tour’s magnificent new World Championship trophy. This partnership is the culmination of a lot of hard work and the Tour is very honoured to become part of Garrard’s family of great sporting associations as we continue to develop the series.'

World Match Racing Tour website