Henri Lloyd’s dedication to the UK’s sailing community has been reflected in its direct support for three of the five leading events in the British calendar this year. Three of the five leading events to be offered around the country have been backed by Henri Lloyd to draw attention to the excellent sport, which sees dozens of top-quality UK sailors looking to establish themselves on the global circuit.

The first is the Henri Lloyd Weymouth Regatta, a smaller-scale event that includes dinghies and keelboats. Taking place over two weekends in Weymouth Bay (July 2nd-3rd, July 8th-10th), entries are open to a mixture of PYN and IRC-rated boats. The J24 Nationals are also being held here, providing an interesting insight into the London 2012 Olympic Games’ sailing events, which are to be held at this location due to its steady winds and calm tide.

Second of the three endorsed events is Henri Lloyd Falmouth Week, held between August 6th and 14th, is the largest regatta in the south-west after Cowes Week. Providing a racing schedule to challenge the most competitive sailors, it nonetheless retains a fun and friendly to attract people of all abilities. It kicks off with the Falmouth Classics event before being followed by six days of competitive racing for keelboats, traditional craft and dinghies in Falmouth Bay, the Carrick Roads and the harbour. A shore-side programme of daytime and evening entertainment complements the action on the water and this ends with a magnificent firework display over the harbour, with prizes given to winners at the end of the event.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race 2011 & 2012 Henri Lloyd Official Clothing Partner - Photo credit onEdition

Perhaps the most exciting Henri Lloyd-affiliated event this year is the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, held on June 25th. It takes place around the Isle of Wight and regularly attracts over 1,700 boats and around 16,000 sailors to make it one of the largest yacht races in the world. The 50 nautical mile course round the Isle of Wight provides hundreds of great vantage points for spectators, both on the mainland and island. After the London Marathon and the Great North and South Runs, it is the fourth largest participation sporting event in the UK. Henri Lloyd realised how important the event was to sailors and, as such, it became the official technical clothing partner of the iconic race – a two-year partnership for both 2011 and 2012.

Paul Strzelecki, the joint managing director of Henri Lloyd, said: “We are proud to have the Henri Lloyd brand associated with one of the largest and most popular yacht races in the world and look forward to working with the Island Sailing Club over the next two years to ensure the event goes from strength to strength. Henri Lloyd’s association with the world’s sailing elite, [such as] triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie, has allowed Henri Lloyd to stay at the forefront of intelligent innovation.”

While Henri Lloyd is not directly sponsoring the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta or Cowes Week, it is impossible to overlook their importance in the calendar. The 2011 Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta is held at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Dorset and will provide the 2010-11 edition of the ISAF Sailing World Cup. Last year, it welcomed a record entry of over 975 sailors and is expected to become even bigger in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games. UK Sport and National Lottery fund the event, which runs from June 6th to 11th.

Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, meanwhile, is a major part of the British sporting summer calendar and is one of the longest-running and most successful sporting events. Staging up to 40 daily races for around 1,000 boats, it is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world. The 8,500 competitors range from Olympic and world class professionals to weekend sailors and over 100,000 spectators come to watch sailing, enjoy parties and live entertainment, and experience the unique atmosphere between August 6th and 13th.

Henri Lloyd’s increasing involvement with sailing – one of the most exciting and underrated sports in the UK – is a proud affiliation, and it is hoped that the sport becomes even more recognised in the coming months and years through this partnership.