SailGP, the international sailing series, has announced global payments giant American Express as the title sponsor of its upcoming inaugural Hong Kong Sail Grand Prix.
The American Express Hong Kong Sail Grand Prix will take place on January 23 and 24, opening the campaign in the Victoria Harbor area.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Through the partnerships, American Express cardholders will gain access to exclusive premium experiences, discounts, and ‘special’ presale ticketing access and priority booking.
American Express head of Asia Walter Liu commented: “At American Express, we are constantly looking for new ways to make card membership more rewarding, from premium benefits to access to some of the most sought-after events in Hong Kong and beyond.
“We are delighted to be the title Sponsor of the inaugural American Express Hong Kong Sail Grand Prix, which sets to bring that commitment to life by giving our card members privileged access and exclusive benefits to a world-class sporting event right here in Hong Kong.”
Hong Kong is one of two new locations added to the SailGP calendar for the 2027 campaign, the other being Italy, Rome, specifically, unveiled in late May.
Hong Kong is SailGP’s first race in the East Asian market since Singapore hosted in the 2022-23 campaign, though the series has held multiple events in the Middle East and Oceania in the interim period.
When speaking to Sportcal (GlobalData Sport) back in August, SailGP managing director Andy Thompson revealed: "Asia is probably our big push in the next five to 10 years" in terms of international hosting expansion.
The topic of expansion is a difficult balancing act for SailGP, with Thompson adding: “Even adding those two races [Hong Kong and Rome] was a tough decision for us – we're adding two major markets there, which are going to be difficult for us to deliver."
“What we're really looking at now is what a venue offers over five to 10 years, rather than in the very short term. What can we do over that long-term period to deliver value to host venues? That's something that's never really been done in the world of sailing before.”
Read more: SailGP charts course for major expansion by 2030
