On the 20th June 2019, SailGP unveiled a striking trophy by world-renowned trophy maker Thomas Lyte, that will be presented to the overall winning national team at the end of Season 1.
The brief was to create a trophy with a cool, progressive feel that captures the extreme drama, energy and performance of SailGP. To ensure the winning team could truly celebrate their victory and create an iconic sporting moment, it was crucial that the trophy could be uplifted and used in celebration.
The eye-catching result is a unique ‘V’ shaped trophy in various stages of deconstruction. Handcrafted in Thomas Lyte’s London workshops from 12.5 kilos of sterling silver bullion and 24 carat gold plating, the 65cm high trophy takes inspiration from the power of the wind and the speeds of the world’s fastest sail racing boats, taking part in this cutting-edge, new global league.
“We wanted to create something that communicated the extreme drama, extreme energy and extreme performance of SailGP, which is taking sailing to the next level,” said Russell Coutts, CEO of SailGP. “We asked for the design to encapsulate the power and the passion of the forward-thinking boats and world-class athletes and we are delighted that Kevin Baker and his team at Thomas Lyte have excelled in creating something so striking that does exactly that.”
Thomas Lyte’s design team worked with SailGP creating over 35 different concepts during the design process to activate the exciting design brief to create an iconic symbol to reimagine sailing. Once the design had been agreed and the brief met, Thomas Lyte’s highly skilled team of Master Craftsmen set to work using traditional silversmithing skills, and combining the latest methods in modern engineering to create this magnificent cup. The complete design and crafting process was carefully orchestrated over a 12 month consultation period.
“This has been a hugely exciting project – we were tasked with creating a trophy that would be forever at the cutting edge. Our creative team and craftsmen took inspiration from the power of the wind and the thrilling boat speeds that result in this exciting new sport, whereby winds of up to 30mph and boats travelling at speeds double that come into force. We are thrilled with the outcome and believe that this exquisite trophy will now sit alongside some of the most quintessential trophies in global sport” said Kevin Baker, Founder and CEO of Thomas Lyte.
The trophy will be awarded at the final event of the season in Marseille where the winning team will not only be able to hold the trophy aloft, but also walk away with $1 million.