ROLEX
Ben Ainslie, Hannah Mills, Martine Grael and Tom Slingsby, the RolexTestimonees are all in Geneva for the world’s biggest sailing competition.
“Lake Geneva is an amazing place. The races promise to be really exciting, particularly as they are taking place in the birthplace of Rolex, our title sponsor. Although far from the sea, Geneva has a strong sailing community. Switzerland has an impressive successful track record in this sport” says Sir Ben Ainslie. For sailing fans, the voice of the five-time British Olympic medallist is like gospel. Winner of the America’s Cup in 2013 in San Francisco, Ainslie has been a Rolex Testimonee since 2019. He embodies half a century of competitive sailing, now showcased on Geneva’s waters.
Seventy years of iconic races
Rolex has supported SailGP from its inception in 2019. Since 1958 – nearly seventy years, it has been making its mark on the world’s oceans – from Sydney to Hobart, including the iconic Fastnet Rock off the Irish coast, and the dramatic volcanic surroundings of the Mediterranean’s Middle Sea Race. A longtime sponsor of renowned races, the Geneva-based company has rooted its precision watchmaking in the challenging maritime world, where marine chronometers and stars have guided sailors across the seas since the 18th century. Pioneers Sir Francis Chichester, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Bernard Moitessier each wore a Rolex on their respective circum-navigations. Even today, time is still essential to the start of the F50s competing in SailGP to the hundredth of a second – a timing that Sir Ben Ainslie executes flawlessly.
Impact League and sustainable development
Busy last year winning the America’s Cup preliminary races, Ben Ainslie has handed over the helm. He is now in charge of the GBR project. Aboard the Emirates GBR F50, Hannah Mills, a Rolex Testimonee since 2022, is the strategist. Three-time Olympic medallist, including two gold medals, she is very familiar with the road to Lausanne, just across the lake. She is a sustainable development ambassador for the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Last year, Hannah and her team won the Impact League. Running alongside SailGP, this competition assesses each team’s efforts towards sustainable development. Hannah Mills has nothing but praise for it: “It’s so innovative, there’s nothing like it in the world of sport,” she says enthusiastically. “The desire to drive global change through sailing resonates deeply with me. It’s an honour to help develop this league in collaboration with SailGP.”
Diversity, sustainability and equality
Together with Ben Ainslie, she co-founded the Athena Pathway programme, a British initiative aimed at breaking down barriers in sailing by championing diversity, sustainability, and equality. A philosophy also embraced by Brazilian Martine Grael, a frontrunner in the championship’s 2025 season.
A brazilian fighter at the helm of an F50
This year, SailGP celebrates a milestone with the first woman driver at the helm of one of the twelve competing F50s. Named Rolex World Sailor of the Year at just 22, in 2014, Martine Grael is there to race and not just compete. Driven by an incredibly competitive spirit, she was selected because, as the Brazilian coach put it, she was “the best sailor in the country” at the time. After a challenging start, as expected in such an elite class, she brilliantly demonstrated her talent last June with a 4th-place finish at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix. According to this fierce sailor “This championship shows that women and men can compete on equal terms.” It’s a huge step forward, and I hope encourages other sports to follow suit.” At 34, the daughter of Brazilian sailing legend Torben Grael made a name for herself. She became a Rolex Testimonee last year. Unrelenting and determined, she is a two-time Olympic gold medallist. She also distinguished herself in ocean racing as a circumnavigator in the 2017-2018 Volvo Ocean Race.
In pursuit of excellence
The relentless pursuit of excellence and perfection is a hallmark of Australian Tom Slingsby. “When I was 15 years old, I wrote down my career goals” I loved ticking them all off as I went along,” recalls the man who ultimately became everything he aspired to be: ten-time world champion, 2012 Olympic gold medallist, 2013 America’s Cup winner, and leader of the first three SailGP seasons. A Rolex Testimonee since 2023, Tom Slingsby recognises strong “parallels” between the Rolex’s philosophy and his own. The athlete has “always been driven by the desire to do better than the day before”. By sailing at an elite level, Slingsby is able to satisfy his thirst for improvement. He was honoured by his peers with three Rolex World Sailor of the Year awards in 2010, 2021, and 2023.