Luxury car company BMW has been revealed as the global partner of the America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA), the organiser of the 35th America’s Cup. BMW joins fashion house Louis Vuitton as a title sponsor of the ACEA, thus taking its sponsorship of international sailing to a new level.
This sponsorship will see BMW vehicles present at race villages during the World Series and in Bermuda in 2017. The company will also participate in the landmark television coverage of the America’s Cup by providing performance data on both the boats and the athletes.
“Cutting-edge technology and precision engineering are central to both the America’s Cup and BMW,” said Russell Coutts, CEO of ACEA. “Both organisations are innovation driven and we are changing the game in our respective fields. BMW is also one of the most iconic global brands, with tremendous vision and a groundbreaking attitude which can only enhance the America’s Cup. BMW represents excellence in engineering, design and quality, and is the perfect complement to the America’s Cup; we are extremely proud to welcome BMW as a global partner for the event.”
Following on from Ben Ainslie Racing sponsor Land Rover, BMW will also be supporting Oracle Team USA as its official technology partner. The partnership will see the sailing team and car company share expertise, knowledge and technological innovation to help Oracle defend its title for the third consecutive time.
“BMW was an important technology partner for us when we won the America’s Cup in Valencia in 2010,” said Jimmy Spithill, the skipper who led Oracle team USA to victory in 2010 and 2013. “We know that their engineers are the best in the world and can contribute to making our boat go faster and giving us a winning edge.”