Reach sailors where they race

Flying Start is the race management platform used by sailing clubs and regattas. Sponsor an event, a series, or the platform itself — and reach competitive sailors at the moment they're most engaged.

The sailing demographic

Competitive sailors are one of the most valuable and hardest-to-reach audiences in sport. Here's why brands invest in reaching them.

High-income, educated demographic

Competitive sailors skew affluent, professional, aged 30–65. They are decision-makers with significant disposable income, spending on equipment, travel, accommodation, and club memberships year after year.

Passionate and loyal

Sailors race weekly, March through October. Club membership, equipment upgrades, travel to regattas, waterside dining — the annual spend is substantial, and brand loyalty runs deep.

Hard to reach through traditional media

They're on the water, not watching TV. Traditional digital ads don't reach them during the activity. Flying Start does — it's the tool they use before, during, and after every race.

Community-driven

Word-of-mouth is the primary marketing channel in sailing. A brand endorsed by a club commodore reaches every member. Sponsorship is introduction by a trusted voice.

Sponsorship tiers

From a local Wednesday evening series to platform-wide presence. Choose the level that fits your brand and budget.

Event Sponsorship

  • Title sponsor of a regatta or series on the Flying Start platform
  • Your brand on the event page at flyingstart.app/events
  • Logo on live tracking map, viewed by spectators throughout the event
  • Results branded with your name ("The [Brand] Wednesday Series")
  • Notice board announcements carrying your branding
200 – 2,000 impressions per event

Series Sponsorship

  • Sponsor a weekly race series at a sailing club
  • 20–40 weeks of visibility per year
  • Brand presence on results pages, standings, and event page
50 – 200 per week / 1,000 – 8,000 per season

Ideal for local and regional businesses: marine chandleries, sailmakers, boat yards, marine insurance, waterside restaurants.

Race Mark Sponsorship

  • Sponsor a virtual or physical race mark
  • Your brand name on the course map
  • "Round the [Brand] Mark" — mentioned in race briefings and commentary
  • Visible on live tracking maps during races
Seen by every competitor and spectator, every race

Who sponsors sailing?

Sailing has long attracted premium brands. These categories already invest in reaching the sailing market.

Luxury watches

Rolex (Fastnet Race, SailGP), Omega, Hublot

Financial services

Aberdeen Asset Management (Cowes Week), J.P. Morgan, Skandia

Marine equipment

Harken, Zhik, Musto, Gill, Henri Lloyd, Helly Hansen

Marine electronics

B&G, Raymarine, Garmin

Automotive

Land Rover (BAR), Volvo (Ocean Race)

Drinks and hospitality

Moet, Champagne Lanson, local breweries

Insurance

GJW Direct, Navigators & General, Pantaenius

Sailmakers

North Sails, Doyle, Quantum

Chandleries

Force 4, Mailspeed Marine, Fox's Marine

If you're in any of these categories — or want to reach this audience — we should talk.

Why digital sponsorship beats a spinnaker

Traditional sailing sponsorship is a guess. Digital sponsorship is measurable.

Traditional

Spinnaker branding

Seen by boats nearby, in photos, sometimes on social media. Impressive but limited measurement. No click-through, no engagement data.

Event programme ad

Read once, usually before racing. No way to measure whether anyone saw your page.

Flying Start

Event page

Viewed before, during, and after every race. Time on page, views, and click-throughs all measurable.

Live tracking map

Spectators watch for 2–4 hours per race day. Your brand is on screen the entire time.

Results page

The most-visited page after racing. Sailors check results multiple times. Your brand is right there.

Traditional sponsorship is a guess. Digital sponsorship is measurable.

Platform metrics

A growing platform with a committed, engaged user base.

30+ min Average time on live tracking per race
80%+ iPhone users (premium tech demographic)
30–65 Core age range, professional and managerial
UK+ UK-focused, expanding to Ireland, France, Med

Flexible packages

We work with budgets from local chandleries to national brands.

Put your brand in front of competitive sailors.

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