WSDA26
Put your name on the standard for excellence in sailing.
World Sailing Day Awards (WSDA) partners can become the exclusive naming sponsor of a category for a minimum of three years.
You don’t just place a logo – you attach your brand to the people, projects and innovations that define that field in sailing.
What is an Award Sponsor?
An Award Sponsor selects one WSDA category and becomes its sole naming partner for 3 full terms.
Examples:
“The [Brand] Sustainability Award”
“The [Brand] Technology & Innovation Award”
“The [Brand] Sailing Hero Award – Offshore”
Your name is carried wherever that award appears:
- On the WSDA and World Sailing Day websites
- In calls for entries and entry forms
- In shortlists and winner announcements
- On-stage and on-screen at the WSDA ceremony
- in press releases, reports and social media assets
- On trophies and certificates
Over three or more years, that adds up to a clear message: in this part of sailing, your brand sets the benchmark.
Why sponsor a WSDA award?
1. Own a category, not just a banner
You choose the space that matters to you – sustainability, safety, youth development, technology, community impact and more – and become the name attached to excellence in that area of sailing.
2. Build a compounding story
Every cycle produces a fresh shortlist, finalists and a winner. Across a three-year term you build a portfolio of real people and projects your brand can stand behind – a living archive of case studies for internal and external storytelling.
3. Reach the whole sailing ecosystem
WSDA brings together entries from clubs, companies, athletes, destinations, events and initiatives around the world. Your category cuts across that ecosystem, year after year, at local, national and international levels.
4. Create tangible proof of commitment
Instead of vague ESG claims, you point to a concrete award:
“Each year, we support and celebrate the most impactful work in [your chosen field] in sailing.”
WSDA26
How Award Sponsorship works
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1. Choose your category
We share the full list of WSDA award categories (currently 32) and their current status: available, reserved or already sponsored. Together we identify the category – or cluster of categories – that best fits your focus.
Reserve your category
Once we’ve found the right match, we hold that category for you while we shape the outline together: scope, visibility, and the level (global / regional / national) that makes sense for your market.
You’ll see clearly where and how your name will appear before anything is final.
Confirm the sponsorship
When you’re happy with the outline, we put it into a simple sponsorship agreement so that everyone knows what to expect:
– how the award will be named
– where and when your brand appears
– what the investment covers
– how we safeguard independence and avoid conflicts of interestIt’s there to protect both sides and the credibility of the award.
Activate each awards cycle
We handle the mechanics of the awards year – call for entries, jury process, shortlists, winners and the WSDA ceremony.
Your team gets a clear mini-calendar and ready-made assets (text, visuals, key messages) so you can plug the big moments into your own campaigns and internal comms without extra work.
Integrity and independence
The value of an award depends on trust. We protect that trust with clear boundaries:
- One sponsor per category
Each award has a single naming sponsor for the duration of the agreement. - No entries in your own category
The sponsor, and any company within the same corporate group, may not submit entries to the category they sponsor. You are welcome to enter other categories where you meet the normal criteria. - Independent juries
All entries are assessed by juries appointed by WSDA. Sponsors have no role in the nomination, shortlisting or voting process. - Transparent criteria
Judging criteria for each award are published in advance and remain consistent for the term, unless updated by WSDA for quality reasons.
These rules ensure that winning a sponsored award is meaningful for entrants – and credible for your brand.
Award categories
World Sailing Day Awards recognise excellence across the sport and its wider ecosystem. Categories currently include, among others:
- Industry Sector Awards – leadership and innovation across equipment, yards, marinas, services and technology.
- Sustainability & Access – projects that make sailing more climate-responsible, inclusive and reachable.
- Sailing Hero Awards – individuals across the main sailing types who have made an outstanding contribution on and off the water.
- Youth & Education – programmes that bring the next generation into sailing and develop their skills.
- Safety & Seamanship – initiatives that improve safety standards, training and seamanship culture.
- Events & Experiences – regattas, festivals and new formats that redefine what a sailing event can be.
- Community & Inclusion – clubs, cities and organisations building diverse, welcoming sailing communities.
In total there are 32 awards. Some categories are reserved for global partners; others are open to sector, regional or national sponsors.
You can request the current availability list or view it here as an updated grid.
WORLD SAILING DAY AWARDS
Key Dates and Deadlines
Each sub-categrory contestant is required to submit a complete entry within the time period indicated. Once the submission has been approved it will be published on the Awards Voting section of the webiste. The on-line voting will take place in two rounds as indic ated and the final will take place and be announced in London on 28 May – World Sailing Day.
entries open & close
Open Date: 01/01/26
Close Date: 25/02/26
shortlist date
Online Voting Start: 20/03/26
Online Voting Close: 25/03/26
Announced: 01/03/26
semi-final date
Online Voting Start: 20/03/26
Online Voting Close: 25/03/26
Announced: 01/03/26
final date
Judges Voting Start: 20/03/26
Judges Voting Close: 25/03/26
Announced: 28/05/26
Investment
Award Sponsorship is a dedicated product, separate from general World Sailing Day partnership tiers.
Fees reflect:
the category’s profile and scope (global vs regional vs niche)
the level of integration and activation you require
whether you sponsor a single category or a family of related awards
All agreements run for a minimum of three years.
For many brands, this sits in the same range as a mid-sized campaign – but with a deeper, recurring narrative and a clear link to tangible achievements in the sport.
To receive an outline tailored to your brand, region and preferred category, please use the form below. We typically respond within 7 working days.
In Short:
Commercial entities may apply to sponsor any of the Awards categories for a minimum term of three years based on a minimum number of participant entries. Each award category is independent of another. There is no limit as to the amount of the sponsorship award or its value, other than the award value shall not be reduced during its term.
Industry Sector
Various sector specific awards on both local, national and global level.
Sustainability
Forward Looking. The Award for the most promising project to be launched in the award year impact sailing and make it more accessible to the public.
Sponsored by SailingMiles.com
Sailing Hero
For each of the 10 sailing types a named Award sponsorship is available.
F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we sponsor an award and still enter it?
No. To avoid any conflict of interest, sponsors (and companies in the same group) cannot enter the category they sponsor while the agreement is active. You can submit entries in any other categories where you meet the criteria.
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