The ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP team, helmed by Nicolai Sehested, leads the SailGP Fleet sail past the Statue of Liberty on Race Day 1 of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix in New York.Samo Vidic for SailGP/Supplied
As the young British swimmer Mercedes Gleitze emerged from the waters of the English Channel in October of 1927, she not only became the first British woman to swim its cold waters between England and France. She also cemented the reputation of the Rolex Oyster, the waterproof watch she wore while undertaking her groundbreaking dip.
The watch’s novel design had only been introduced a year earlier by the Geneva-based company’s founder and director, Hans Wilsdorf. Almost 100 years later, the Oyster is still considered a feat of timekeeping, and Rolex continues to revel in its reputation for being part of big moments in sport.
A long-time sponsor of yachting events, in late 2024 the brand came aboard as the first title sponsor and official timepiece of SailGP, the adrenaline-fueled racing competition that was founded in 2018 by Larry Ellison, the chairman of the computer software company Oracle, and Sir Russell Coutts, a multiple America’s Cup winner. The company’s faith in Gleitze’s grit is reflected in its SailGP partnership: each participating team must have at least one female member on its six-person crew.
The Oyster Perpetual 41, pictured here in pistachio dial. The waterproof watch is still considered a feat in teamkeeping, a century after it was first introduced.Ulysse Frechelin/Supplied
In addition to awarding a team for its ability to finish first in high-tech, wind-powered foiling catamarans that precariously slice through the waves, SailGP is the first sport to bestow a prize for its Impact League, a sustainability and inclusivity initiative that runs during racing season. It’s an equally tense competition for its 12 teams, including crews from the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil, Italy, Canada, France, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Spain. The latter took home the top prize at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix, SailGP’s competition on the Hudson River in early June.
At the New York event, Fiona Morgan, the chief purpose officer of SailGP, remarked that the crews are as fiercely competitive about winning the Impact League each season as they are the on-water races. She highlighted that the sustainability initiatives are as forward-thinking as the sport itself.
“For sports as a sector, kit and merchandise is such a problem,” she said about the consumables generated for athletes and fans. To address this issue, SailGP has collaborated with the plastic-free, natural fibre-focused sportswear company Mover on a line of branded merch. “And NorthStar, the Canadian team, have started a locker program. Throughout the country, they have lockers where they put used sailing gear, wetsuits and old kit inside and then people can request a code to get access to these items. It’s a great recycling program.”
While Morgan and the SailGP crews continue to innovate in the fields of sport, sustainability, access and equality, this year Rolex offers updates to the Oyster Perpetual as well. A range of new faces in lavender, beige and pistachio green compliment the style’s latest versions featuring Oystersteel, its exclusive alloy boasting anti-corrosion properties. It’s a metal made to stand the test of time and, naturally, moisture.
Style Advisor travelled to New York as a guest of Rolex. The company did not review or approve this article prior to publication.
