FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2017
Portsmouth, R.I. – US Sailing and Helly Hansen, a global leader in sailing apparel, have announced a new partnership to support the US Sailing Team. Helly Hansen has been named as the exclusive apparel provider for national team sailors through 2020.
“As US Sailing Team athletes compete around the world, it is of critical importance that they are equipped with the best technical sailing apparel available,” said two-time Olympic Champion Malcolm Page (Newport, R.I.), the Chief of U.S. Olympic Sailing. “Regardless of whether we will be facing oppressive heat or bitter cold, we know that Helly Hansen can offer advanced solutions to provide our team with the comfort, protection, durability and mobility required for competitive success. The brand is trusted by professional sailors around the world and we look forward working with them to give our sailors every possible competitive advantage.”
Sailing has been at the core of the Helly Hansen brand since its inception in 1877. The first products offered by the company sought to protect Norwegian mariners from challenging nordic weather. Technical improvements have come through relentless innovation and application of the latest technologies. Helly Hansen’s involvement in high-performance sailing has been notably distinguished, with Norwegian athletes wearing Helly Hansen gear at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. Since then, sailors outfitted with Helly Hansen apparel have conquered everything from dinghy regattas to open ocean races in every corner of the globe.
“We are thrilled and humbled to be partnering with the US Sailing Team,” said Erik Burbank, Helly Hansen’s Chief Marketing Officer (Oslo, Norway). “Sailing is where the Helly Hansen brand started 140 years ago, and partnering with the pros of the sport is a critical element in ensuring that we continue to lead in the category. We look forward to supporting the athletes as they train, compete and continue to work toward their goals.”
US Sailing Team athletes have begun receiving Helly Hansen team gear this week at training venues across the country, and reaction has been both swift and universally positive. “I’m thrilled that the US Sailing Team will be working with Helly Hansen going forward,” said three-time U.S. Olympian and Men’s 470 helmsman Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.). “They make first-rate sailing gear, and on top of that, it looks stylish.” Athletes also noted that having a gear partner with over a century of marine experience provided significant peace of mind. “We compete in some really cold places, like Palma de Mallorca, Spain, every March, for example,” said U.S. Olympian and Nacra 17 athlete Louisa Chafee (Providence, R.I.). “Places like that are windy, wet, and have the kind of cold that gets into your bones. Having sailing gear that can breathe but also shed water is vital to being able to perform well. If you’re cold, you’re not going to win races.”
About Helly Hansen
Helly Hansen is a leading player in technical sailing and lifestyle apparel, and is worn by national teams from the US, Canada, Norway and Japan. Helly Hansen also works with leading regatta’s like NOOD, Færder, Oslo Race Week, AF Race week, Round The Island regatta in the UK, the EU Melges Series, and many more. Founded in Norway in 1877, Helly Hansen continues to develop professional-grade gear that helps people stay and feel alive. Through insights drawn from living and working in the world’s harshest environments, the company has developed a long list of first-to-market innovations, including the first supple waterproof fabrics almost 140 years ago. Other breakthroughs include the first fleece fabrics in the 1960s, the first technical base layers in the 1970s, made with Lifa® Stay Dry Technology, and today’s award winning and patented H2Flow® temperature regulating system. Helly Hansen is a leader in technical sailing and performance ski apparel, as well as premium workwear. Its ski uniforms are worn and trusted by more than 55,000 professionals and can be found on Olympians, National Teams, and at more than 200 ski resorts and mountain guiding operations around the world. To learn more about Helly Hansen’s latest collections, visit hellyhansen.com.
About the US Sailing Team
The US Sailing Team is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top boats in each Olympic class are selected annually to be members of the US Sailing Team. US Sailing helps these elite athletes with financial, logistical, coaching, technical, fitness, marketing and communications support. US Sailing Team sponsors include gold partner Helly Hansen, silver partners Harken, McLube, and Groupe Beneteau, and supplier Marlow Ropes. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org/olympics
About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org
Contact: Will Ricketson, Olympic Communications Manager, US Sailing
Email: willricketson@ussailing.org
Phone: +1 978 697 2384 (USA)
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