Aspen to sponsor Pip Hare Ocean Racing as she sets out to complete Vendée Globe Race for the second time

Today we have announced an agreement to sponsor skipper Pip Hare as she prepares to compete at the Vendée Globe Race in November. The Vendée Globe is a non-stop, unassisted, solo race around the world and is widely considered the toughest endurance sports event. Pip is only the eighth woman to have previously completed the race, and this year she will be setting out to become the first woman to do so twice.

As part of the agreement, Aspen’s logo will be displayed on Pip’s boat, the Medallia. The Vendée Globe is the world’s second most watched sports event, and an estimated 2.1 billion households will follow the race worldwide.

Pip has a sports career that spans three decades, with multiple accolades and world records. In addition to being an elite sportswoman, Pip is an inspirational speaker, author, climate activist and a passionate advocate for gender equality in sports. She runs the only female-led ocean racing team worldwide and supports young women from all backgrounds to start a career in competition sports.

Mark Cloutier, Executive Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our agreement to sponsor Pip not only makes sense commercially. Pip’s inspirational story about resilience and teamwork is an apt metaphor of Aspen’s own journey. Her vision of doing it differently and our shared values of innovation and collaboration make Pip a great ambassador for us.

“I am proud to be supporting Pip as she prepares to compete in this year’s Vendée Globe, and look forward to hearing her story, inspiration and insights she shares with us in the coming months.”

Pip Hare said: “Finding sponsors to work with is an essential to driving performance in a sport like ours, but it’s so much more than just bringing finance into the team. It’s about finding partners who share our values who are driven towards success in the same way we are, so that we can both benefit from the great sport of Ocean Racing. In Aspen we really have found a partner that matches our philosophy, and we are really excited to start our relationship with them and take them with us on our journey to the Vendée Globe.”

The Vendée Globe starts on 10 November, when skippers set off from Les Sables d’Olonne (France) and sail over 24,000 miles around the world, rounding the three Capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Cape Horn) before returning to Les Sables d’Olonne.