The partnership sets the benchmark for climate positive sports and demonstrates the potential of electric power to a global sailing audience.
ePropulsion, a global leader and market challenger in marine electric propulsion systems and services, has extended its partnership with SailGP for its global Race for the Future sail racing league.
The partnership, which was announced last year, will see ePropulsion provide its Spirit 1.0 Plus and Navy 3.0 electric outboard solutions for SailGP’s support boats for the upcoming Season 3, which gets underway on 14-15 May with the Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess on the iconic waters of the Great Sound. This season also sees two new national teams join the championship – Canada and Switzerland – with ePropulsion donating Spirit 1.0 Plus models to both teams.
Danny Tao, CEO of ePropulsion, said: “The shift to electric propulsion holds the key to tackling climate change – and we know that more sustainable boating plays a vital part in delivering that change and helping to protect our fragile marine environment. That is why we are delighted to extend our partnership with SailGP and help demonstrate the supremacy of clean, electric power. In SailGP we have found a partner who shares our sustainability and environmental goals; together we can help drive the change towards a more sustainable marine industry.”
Clean energy roadmap
SailGP’s target is to accelerate the transition to clean energy, and it has set itself the aim of ensuring its events are 100% powered by clean energy – both on and off the water – by 2025. Its partnership with ePropulsion is enabling it to transition to electric outboard motors for its support craft. Electric outboards are responsive, reliable, emit zero emissions and are quiet, making them better for the environment. This, coupled with long-range batteries and maintenance-free design make them an ideal choice for some of SailGP’s support vessels.
Fiona Morgan, SailGP Director of Purpose and Impact said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with ePropulsion. We have a clear roadmap in place to meet our 2025 ambition to have our entire fleet on water powered by nature and this partnership is an important enabler towards meeting our goal. We want to use our global platform to set a new benchmark for clean energy events and inspire others to join us on our journey as we navigate towards a sustainable future for both sport and the wider marine industry.”
Exciting season ahead
Season 3 of SailGP looks set to be an exciting one, with ten national teams racing identical F50 wingsailed catamarans in ten events across the globe, beginning in Bermuda and then travelling on to USA, Great Britain, Denmark, France, Spain, Dubai, Singapore and New Zealand before finishing back in the USA on 6-7 May 2023. In Season 2, Australia lifted the Championship trophy for the second successive year following a thrilling finale in San Francisco Bay. The New Zealand SailGP team won the inaugural Impact League – SailGP’s second podium for the planet and a first in sport rewarding sustainable action.
Source: ePropulsion