Seiko and International 49er Class announce new partnership
by Claire Lodge 17 Jan 2007 10:15 GMT
Seiko Watch Corporation and the International 49er Class Association today signed a unique two year partnership agreement. The global partnership is the first of its kind for an Olympic sailing class and represents the emergence of the 49er as a powerful marketing platform. Over the next two years Seiko will assist the growth and development of the 49er class worldwide through a series of joint initiatives.
This is the first time that Seiko has supported world-class sailing. Within the partnership, Seiko will benefit from a full package of sponsorship and marketing rights, including brand visibility at the two major events in the 2007 calendar, the World Championships in Portugal and the European Championships in Sicily.
The partnership is designed to further grow the class throughout the world with a series of training courses and masterclasses to increase the coaching, participation and expertise globally.
The agreement will not only generate strong visibility of the Seiko brand to millions of sailing enthusiasts worldwide but it will also provide a platform for the launch of a new collection of Seiko marine watches to be launched at Baselworld, the world's largest watch fair, from 12 to 19 April 2007.
Mr. Shinji Hattori, President and CEO of Seiko Watch Corporation, said "We are thrilled to support the 49er class. It is a fast growing class that is capturing the imagination of sailors all over the world. The 49er boats are fast, exciting to sail and very distinctive and with this new agreement we hope to help the Association make the 49er more popular than ever."
Marcus Spillane, CEO of the 49er Class Association said "We are delighted to welcome Seiko as not only our first ever commercial partner but the first global partner for an Olympic Class. Our Class is growing rapidly and the support of Seiko, a strong and prestigious brand, will help us bring our sport to a wider audience. We plan to use the support from Seiko to broaden the base of the Class worldwide and introduce new sailors to this exciting sport."