Helly Hansen and the Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive Team have partnered for The Ocean Race. As the official clothing supplier, Helly Hansen will provide the IMOCA team with performance gear for the entire race cycle, including The Ocean Race Europe in 2025, The Ocean Race Atlantic in 2026 and The Ocean Race in 2027.
Often described as the longest and toughest professional team sporting event, The Ocean Race challenges the world’s best sailors, putting them and their gear to the test in extreme ocean conditions. Men and women compete in the foiling IMOCA class within each crewed race.
“The Ocean Race is a critical part of our Be Water Positive campaign, pushing us and our equipment to the limit in some of the most extreme conditions on Earth, and we’re thrilled to partner with Helly Hansen as our official clothing supplier,” said Scott Shawyer, president and skipper, Canada Ocean Racing. “I’m looking forward to working side-by-side with such a world-class brand to develop, test and validate the equipment that will help keep me and the team safe, comfortable and focused in The Ocean Race events over the next three years.
“Helly Hansen is a name that every sailor knows. Most of us have worn their kit at various points in our careers, and I’m proud to welcome them into the team as we chase down a bold, global ambition together,” continued Shawyer.
Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive will be on the starting line for The Ocean Race Europe 2025, which supports Shawyer’s mission to make history as the first Canadian to complete the Vendée Globe in 2028. Since launching the campaign, he’s set a double-handed course record for the Royal Ocean Racing Club Transatlantic Yacht Race, become the first Canadian to complete the 3,100-nautical-mile New York Vendée.
British offshore sailor Pip Hare will sail alongside Shawyer and the four-person sailing team on each leg of the race. Having competed among the Top 10 of the international IMOCA fleet and in the 2020/21 and 2024 Vendée Globe, she will provide insight and mentorship to the team.
The team is also championing the Be Water Positive initiative, using their global platform to raise awareness of water scarcity and sustainable solutions, and through the team’s Pathway Program, to inspire and support the next generation of Canadian offshore sailors.
“We are proud to partner with the Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive Team in support of their mission, taking on one of the toughest team sporting events in the world, The Ocean Race,” said Gabriele Galaverni, brand partnerships director at Helly Hansen. “Working with professionals is at the core of everything we do, and being able to partner with a team that’s not only committed to pushing their own performance boundaries but also to raising the profile of offshore sailing is an honor and inspiration. We look forward to collaborating with the team to give them the best possible technical gear as they compete across the world’s harshest waters.”
Norway-based Helly Hansen has collaborated with teams competing in The Ocean Race for over 50 years to test the company’s latest designs, materials and technologies. As the official clothing supplier to the Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive Team, the company will provide the sailors with pieces from Helly Hansen’s Ægir offshore collection. The company reports the Ægir collection is “the direct result of 50 years of design improvements alongside The Ocean Race teams, and Helly Hansen’s designers will work closely with the team to refine and test new features and designs.”
The Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive Team will join the other competitors on the starting line of The Ocean Race Europe in Kiel, Germany on August 10, 2025, with stops in Portsmouth, UK; Matosinhos-Porto, Portugal (Fly-By); Cartagena, Spain; Nice, France and Genova, Italy, before the finale in Boka Bay, Montenegro.
Image courtesy Helly Hansen
Shown: Scott Shawyer, president and skipper, Canada Ocean Racing, and Pip Hare, British offshore sailor
