The 470 Class wants new commercial partners, and it is not shy about selling itself as something bigger than another Olympic sailing fleet.
In a call-out to prospective sponsors, the class describes itself as a global sporting platform built on world-class athletes, high-performance racing and no shortage of storylines. As the Olympic mixed-gender dinghy, it argues it offers brands something distinctive: international reach, strong appeal, and exposure across sporting events, media and the wider sailing community.
The boat the world sails. That is the line the class is leaning on.
It is not just a slogan. The 470 has carried the careers of some of sailing's biggest names, Olympic champions and world-class sailors among them, including Matthew Belcher and Hannah Mills. Their results over the years have helped cement the class as one of the most competitive in the sport.
That legacy took a new turn at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, when the 470 switched to a mixed-gender format, a change being framed as a fresh chapter rather than a departure.
The mixed crew set-up sits at the heart of the pitch. Success depends on communication, trust, technical skill and tactical nous, with each sailor bringing something different to the boat. Beyond the racing itself, the class says the format speaks to equality, collaboration and diversity, values it believes resonate well outside sailing circles too.
There is a generational angle as well. Former competitors stay connected to the class long after they stop racing, while young sailors line up against established champions on the same racecourse. Marta Cardona, recognised as World Sailing's Youth World Sailor of the Year, now competes in the same fleet as two-time Olympic medallist Anton Dahlberg, an unusual mix of emerging talent and proven champions sharing the same start line.
Digitally, the class says it is building real traction. Instagram content from the season's opening event drew close to 2 million views. At the World Championships in Japan, race recap videos were introduced for the first time, each one pulling in more than 10,000 views, with the final race topping 14,000.
The pitch to brands is straightforward: align with a class that has Olympic heritage, a genuine growth story, and an expanding digital audience. Visibility through the class's channels and media activity is the headline offer, wrapped around themes of sporting excellence, teamwork and equality.
