Helly Hansen, the leading global sailing brand trusted by professionals worldwide, and Team AMAALA are proud to announce their partnership for The Ocean Race Europe. As the Official Clothing Supplier, Helly Hansen will provide the IMOCA team with professional grade, performance-driven gear for the 4,500-nautical mile multi-stage offshore race, which starts on August 10.
“Helly Hansen has been accompanying me on the oceans for almost 10 years now,” said Swiss skipper of the Swiss/Saudi Arabia-flagged Team AMAALA, Alan Roura. "I am therefore very happy to continue this collaboration, which is part of our shared history and reflects the long-term relationship of trust we have built up. Thanks to their expertise and their extremely wide range of products for all sailing conditions, my team and I will be ready to face any situation during this incredible tour of Europe that awaits us."
After three successful Vendée Globe campaigns, the Geneva-based sailor decided to team up with other Swiss sailors for new collective adventures. With the support of AMAALA, an ultra-luxurious wellness tourist destination located along the northwestern coast of Saudi Arabia, the Swiss Offshore Team, a true Swiss national offshore sailing team, was born this summer, with the aim of training young people and participating in the biggest races on the IMOCA calendar.
The Swiss team recently ran an intensive physical and psychological testing session, from which seven sailors were chosen to make up the sailing squad for The Ocean Race Europe 2025: Jessica Berthoud (SUI/NZL); Lucie De Gennes (FRA/SUI); Rebecca Gmuer (SUI/NZL); Guillaume Rol (SUI); Mathis Bourgnon (FRA/SUI); Félix Oberle (SUI); and Yann Burkhalter (SUI).
Racing with Roura as co-skippers in The Ocean Race Europe are Simon Koster (SUI) – who built his offshore reputation in the Mini Transat and Class40 fleets, and highly experienced New Zealand yachtsman Conrad Colman – a veteran of two editions of the Vendée Globe (2016–17, 2024–25) and winner of the Global Ocean Race in 2012.
“The timing does not allow us to set high sporting ambitions for this summer,” explains Alan Roura. “We are focusing more on achieving great human performances, with the establishment of a team, in a spirit of cohesion and long-term development, with The Ocean Race 2027 as our goal.”
“Team AMAALA brings together a diverse group of experienced sailors whose passion and spirit of collaboration reflect the values we hold at Helly Hansen,” said Gabriele Galaverni, Brand Partnerships Director at Helly Hansen. “Working with professionals is at the heart of what we do, and partnering with a team that shares our dedication to design and innovation is a strong and natural alignment. We’re proud to support their campaign in The Ocean Race Europe and look forward to equipping them with high-performance gear built for maximum protection in even the harshest waters.”
Øyvind Vedvik, VP for Sailing and R&D at Helly Hansen added, “Alan Roura is a world-class athlete, whose talent, determination, and ambition continue to inspire us. His insights and experience have been invaluable, and we’re especially proud to support a team that values not just performance, but also mentorship and the shared experience on board – passing on knowledge and creating opportunities for the next generation of sailors.”
A global leader in technical sailing apparel and Official Clothing Supplier of Team AMAALA as well as an Official Partner of The Ocean Race organization, Helly Hansen is trusted by professionals around the world – leveraging their insight and feedback to create gear that delivers innovation, performance, and protection. Founded in 1877, the Norway-based brand has supported teams competing in The Ocean Race for over 50 years, harnessing these relationships to test their newest designs, materials and technologies. Partnering with the race organization alongside Team AMAALA, Helly Hansen will continue to draw on the professionals’ input and experiences to create gear that pushes the performance boundaries of the sport.
Team AMAALA will join the other competitors on the starting line of The Ocean Race Europe in Kiel, Germany – with stops in England, Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy, before the teams arrive in Boka Bay, Montenegro in September.
To find out more about the partnership, visit hellyhansen.com
Founded in Norway in 1877, Helly Hansen continues to develop professional grade apparel that helps people stay and feel alive. Through insights drawn from living and working in the world’s harshest environments, the company has developed a long list of first-to-market innovations, including the first supple waterproof fabrics nearly 150 years ago. Other breakthroughs include the first fleece fabrics in the 1960s, the first technical base layers in the 1970s, made with LIFA® Stay Dry technology, the patented H2Flow™ temperature regulating system, and the revolutionary lighter, warmer LIFALOFT™ insulation. Building on Helly Hansen’s proprietary HELLY TECH® waterproof/breathable system, the technical outdoor brand has most recently introduced the award-winning LIFA INFINITY PRO™ - the company’s most innovative waterproof/breathable technology to date.
Helly Hansen is a leader in technical sailing and performance ski apparel, as well as premium workwear. Its uniforms are worn and trusted by more than 55,000 professionals and can be found on Olympians, National Teams, and at more than 200 ski resorts and mountain guiding operations globally.
Helly Hansen’s outerwear, base layers, sportswear and footwear are sold in more than 40 countries around the world. To learn more about Helly Hansen’s latest collections, visit www.hellyhansen.com
Photo © Adrien Cordier / Air Vide et Eau Productions