Global Partnerships

While the Clipper Race helps people achieve something remarkable by becoming an ocean racer, this is only one dimension of what we do; there is so much more that happens beyond the competition, especially at stopovers with our official partners, not only to provide crew with a unique experience but also to promote business development, boost tourism and economic impact, and to establish strong international corporate relationships.

“Compared to 20 years ago, the fleet is a third larger, crew numbers have almost quadrupled, and the team behind the scenes is ten times what it was in 1996,” says CEO William Ward. “All of this helps the Clipper Race deliver a powerful mix of compelling media stories, combined with a range of business engagement channels and a rich variety of corporate social responsibility opportunities.

“The race offers a truly unique global marketing platform for corporations, destinations and brands which our partners have taken full advantage of during the 2015-16 edition,” he added.

One such unique activation took place while the fleet was in Rio de Janeiro, when the GREAT Britain campaign took the opportunity to film a national television advertising campaign in partnership with Ridley Scott Associates, starring Clipper Race CEO William Ward and highlighting the global export prospects for UK businesses. Read more click here.

For the Host Ports and Team Partners of a particular destination, attracting tourists and businesses to the area to boost the local economy is often a primary aim. Throughout the race this was particularly evident in first time Host Ports Da Nang and Seattle, along with the well-established Qingdao and Derry-Londonderry which received a record number of visitors to its Maritime Festival during the stopover. Read how their objectives were realised here.

Inshore regattas and corporate sail days, such as in the iconic Sydney Harbour or networking receptions on deck in New York’s Hudson River, provide memorable opportunities to use the unique Clipper 70 fleet to create very individual experiences – the perfect venue for our partners to host their clients and prospective business partners.

The race also provides the perfect product testing ground for brands experimenting and researching with new technology such as Elliot Brown’s though Canford watch and Henri Lloyd’s next generation of foul weather gear.

In addition to helping partners achieve their trade and tourism targets our team works on corporate and social responsibility initiatives, such as the Sapinda Rainbow Foundation bursary scheme for young people from challenging backgrounds in South Africa.

Forums on climate change and women’s rights, a Pro-Am regatta with sports stars and TV personalities, and a creative long-term social media campaign to increase brand awareness by engaging with race followers, proved to be successful activations.

To read a summary of highlights from the 2015-16 edition, visit the partnerships Insights section of the website.