There are times when sailors find themselves in alignment with the conditions at sea. Moments when they are able to manage everything facing them, able to withstand adversity, turn opportunity to advantage, able to achieve their goals. These are moments Rolex has celebrated for a century.

In 1926, Rolex transformed watchmaking with the creation of the world’s first waterproof wristwatch: the Oyster. A year later, Mercedes Gleitze wore a Rolex Oyster during a English Channel swim, spending more than 10 hours in the water. At the end of the attempt, the watch was declared to be in perfect working order, a demonstration of endurance in demanding conditions and of the Oyster’s technical reliability.

Gleitze’s achievement was a rare feat at the time, and one marked by unwavering determination and commitment. One hundred years on, Rolex’s partnership with the sport of yachting is defined by similar characteristics. Offshore or inshore, solo or in a team, sailing demands discipline, timing, courage and respect for nature. Success on the water is never about conquering the sea, but understanding it, as Louis Balcaen, the winning skipper of the 2025 Rolex Middle Sea Race remarked:

“You don’t fight the sea. You move with it, and you give it everything you have.”

From Pioneers To Partners

This perception has guided Rolex’s bond with sailing for close to 70 years, from the formation of 1/4 its seminal relationship with the New York Yacht Club in 1958.

In 1966, when Sir Francis Chichester set out aboard Gipsy Moth IV on his solo circumnavigation, he took an Oyster Perpetual among his navigational tools and was driven by unyielding resolve. His ground-breaking voyage encapsulates a pioneering vision of precision under pressure, self-reliance, and a high regard for the natural world. It is a mindset that continues to unite the Swiss watchmaker with the individuals and institutions at the very heart of the sport.

From the 600-nautical-mile challenge of the Rolex Fastnet, Rolex Middle Sea and Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Races to the high-performance arenas of the Rolex TP52 World Championship, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Rolex Swan Cup, each supported event is an expression of the underlying ethos of sailing that resonates so clearly with the brand. As Rolex Testimonee Sir Ben Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor in history, reflects:

“Precision and excellence are core to performance in sailing… and this is a common link with what Rolex stands for.”

Every skipper knows that success when racing offshore depends on more than speed. It is about teamwork, preparation and calmness. Robert Scheidt, a Rolex Testimonee and five-time Olympic medallist, says it best:

“The quality that helps the most is the spirit that enables one to stay the course… even if you are in trouble, deep in the fleet, fight boat by boat, situation by situation.”

In this respect, sailing and Rolex share similar codes, constant refinement, and the resolute pursuit of excellence. Paul Cayard, winner of the Whitbread Round the World Race and a Rolex Testimonee for over 25 years, highlights a key characteristic of sailing that separates it from other sports:

“The sea does not care who you are… every day it presents new conditions, and you have to meet them.”

Within all this lie delicate balances between tradition and progress, technology and instinct; concepts which keep Rolex anchored at the centre of the sport.

The Heart Of Yachting

Alongside the events and individuals, Rolex’s relationship with the sport is built upon enduring partnerships with the institutions that preserve the sport’s spirit and shape its future.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, New York Yacht Club, Royal Yacht Squadron, Royal Ocean Racing Club, Royal Malta Yacht Club and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda are not only race organizers, but they are also the guardians of yachting culture. Through these alliances, Rolex supports excellence from the foundations to the highest levels. Each club is a torchbearer of the sport’s defining values. At the YCCS and the Royal Ocean Racing Club, their respective Azzurra and Griffin youth programmes nurture tomorrow’s champions regardless of background or gender. According to Cayard:

“Rolex has partnered with some of the best, most influential, and oldest institutions in our sport. These yacht clubs are really the heart and soul of the sport. They’re the container in which so much of the passion and experience is held and transmitted to the next generation.”

These club-led initiatives represent an evolution, rather than a departure from tradition. They draw from the same relentless drive to improve that has been a constant in the sport and its longstanding partner.

Passing The Helm

Among those driving the advancement is Hannah Mills, the most decorated female Olympic sailor in history and a Rolex Testimonee. Through her Athena Pathway, Mills is opening new routes for women and young sailors to reach the highest level of competition. Her work reflects Rolex’s broader commitment to inclusion and mentorship to the idea that achievement is amplified when opportunity is shared.

Among the alumni of the Athena Pathway, there are two carrying the spirit forward with the Rolex portfolio of supported yachting events. Hannah Diamond, who raced the Rolex Fastnet Race in 2019, will skipper a team at the inaugural edition of the New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship in 2026. Meanwhile, Hattie Rogers, who completed the Rolex Fastnet as a teenager, competed in the 2025 Rolex Middle Sea Race.

Their continuing journeys within yachting embody a quiet but powerful shift within the sport. The recognition that excellence has many forms, and that the future of sailing depends on ensuring as broad a community as possible is encouraged to participate, grow and, ultimately, to achieve.

Continuity And Collaboration

The spirit of cooperation extends beyond organizers, yacht clubs and individuals, to include partners in the maritime world whose reputation is also built on the premise of protecting the sport’s heritage through prudent development and the integration of innovation.

The collaboration between Nautor Swan, the YCCS and Rolex represents four decades of shared commitment to performance, excellence and elegance. Cayard underlines the strength of the bonds so critical to the event’s continued success:

“The Rolex Swan Cup is one of the most significant regattas in yachting. It has the distinction of uniting three outstanding partners, all of whom are driven by a desire to encourage progress and innovation, while respecting heritage and tradition.”

The synergy between the three partners, expertly operating in their individual field, reflects the teamwork inherent throughout sailing. Each element of a yacht club, event or crew working together to bring out the best from each other, and to work in concert to achieve something that lasts and looks to the future, while respecting the past.

A Living Legacy

In 2026, Rolex celebrates three significant milestones that define an enduring bond with the sea:

• 100 years of the Oyster, a symbol of pioneering innovation
• 60 years since the start of Sir Francis Chichester’s inspirational solo circumnavigation
• 25 years of partnership with the Royal Ocean Racing Club, at the heart of yachting’s evolution

These anniversaries are not endings, but points along a continuing journey in pursuit of excellence and achievement. Cayard has this to say:

“An anniversary is a great opportunity to pause. Achievers are pretty much head down, looking forward all the time, not necessarily focusing on what has been created. Anniversaries offer a chance to reflect upon what attracted one to a particular endeavour, and skills learnt along the way, and how that might lead to further development. Celebrating these moments is justified, it enables the consolidation of experience and to use it on the next endeavour.”

In every Rolex event, from the fierce battles of the grand prix regattas to the endurance of offshore racing, there is a shared heartbeat of men and women united by a common respect for the oceans. Individuals who recognize it is never possible to be in absolute control of the sea but thrive on the challenge and finding ways to respond. This choice to persevere, to improve, and to inspire defines Rolex’s partnership with sailing. On the water, as in life, achievement is not measured in trophies or titles, but in the moments when courage and excellence move together as one.

(Caption for main photo: The success of the Rolex Swan Cup is based upon a partnership between three organizations at the pinnacle of their respective fields: Rolex, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Nautor Swan. ©Rolex/Kurt Arrigo)