GAC Pindar will support INEOS Britannia move its 20.7m long AC75 race boat, 26.5m mast and associated equipment from the UK to Spain
INEOS Britannia has partnered with GAC for its logistics provision ahead of the 37th America’s Cup. The 174-year-old sailing competition takes place in Barcelona, Spain, from August to October this year. INEOS Britannia, the British Challenger of Record, will use GAC for all its logistics needs, including transporting its 20.7m long AC75 race boat, 26.5m mast and associated equipment from the UK to Spain. The appointment follows the successful provision of freight services between the UK and Europe for the team by GAC’s marine, sport, leisure and event logistics specialist since 2022.
Southampton-based GAC Pindar was pivotal in relocating the INEOS Britannia base from the UK to Palma, Mallorca, in Spring 2022 for its training camp before then moving it to Barcelona in 2023. Last autumn, their yachts, chase boats and associated equipment joined other event freight on a return shipment from Barcelona to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for an America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta.
Dave Endean, Chief Operating Officer for INEOS Britannia, said: "Our bid to win The America's Cup requires a high level of support, understanding, and expertise from all of our partners.
“In GAC Pindar, we know we have that strength of commitment and capability. Their specialist operations team arranges every component of our freight requirements from the UK and wider afield into Spain."
GAC Pindar’s Operations Manager, Beth King, said: “Being given official supplier status by INEOS Britannia is a point of great pride for us.
“We take our job of ensuring INEOS Britannia’s supply chain keeps moving very seriously and we are committed to keeping the team’s schedule on track.”
Tracking freight CO2e
INEOS Britannia has led the way in sports sustainability since 2015, when it became the first sports team to achieve the Olympic-inspired ISO 20121 certification. ISO 20121 is a management system that offers guidance and best practice to help control the social, economic and environmental impact of events. GAC supports INEOS Britannia’s commitment to ISO 20121 by providing crucial data on the team’s CO2 freight emissions through a customer facing portal which also details full freight emission, mode of transport and individual shipment data visibility.
“Moving large quantities of things around the world now has to be justified and sustainable,” said King. “Partners like INEOS Britannia who want CO2e reporting are changing the way our industry operates for the better.”
The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup will take place between August and October 2024 in the Spanish city of Barcelona. It promises to be one of the most intense America’s Cups in the event’s 174-year history.