Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer is proud to announce its groundbreaking partnership with FlyingNikka, the world’s first full foiling offshore maxi yacht. Designed for long-distance racing on the Mediterranean Sea, the futuristic, 19-meter-long craft is shaking up the boating world as one of the currently fastest vessels. This collaboration will combine both brands’ respective quests for excellence, precision, and innovation, as well as their commitment to racing. It will also mark TAG Heuer’s innovative return to sailing.

TAG Heuer, the Swiss luxury watchmaker, has announced an exciting new partnership with FlyingNikka, a high-performance racing yacht. This partnership between TAG Heuer and FlyingNikka is set to usher in a new era of innovation and precision in sailing technology, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in water racing.

After several successful collaborations in the automotive world, it only made sense for TAG Heuer to broaden its horizons and reconnect with other competitive high-end racing universes. FlyingNikka provided the perfect opportunity for TAG Heuer to not only showcase its commitment to pushing technological boundaries, but also to demonstrate once again its pioneering role within the watch industry.

Ever since Switzerland’s very first sailing race in 1888, TAG Heuer has been an official timekeeper for some of the world’s most prestigious sailing events, including the world’s oldest international sporting trophy, the America’s Cup. Over the years, TAG Heuer has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible in sailing technology, working closely with sailing outfits, most notably Team Oracle. This original sailing partnership led to the development of dedicated regatta countdown timers and a digital multiphase sailing computer for Team Oracle. TAG Heuer didn’t stop there, also sponsoring around-the-world yacht races and further sailing expeditions. With its new FlyingNikka partnership, TAG Heuer is back in force in the sailing industry, demonstrating its commitment to sailing and its dedication to innovation, performance, and a relentless pioneering spirit.

FlyingNikka is the most complex, innovative, and exciting big yacht of this decade – a pure speed machine, a technological and engineering goliath, and a brave endeavor. Having taken to the water in Valencia on May 12, 2022, it is an evolved offshore version of the long AC75 sailing yacht, which featured in the latest edition of the America’s Cup. This new state-of-the-art yacht challenges the limits of where displacement sailing and foiling technology meet for monohull racing. Designed by renowned naval architect Mark Mills, FlyingNikka boasts cutting-edge design innovations and technology that enable it to achieve unprecedented performance on the water. With a hull made of advanced carbon fiber composites, towering 3D composite sails, and advanced hydrofoils, the yacht is designed to fly over the water, achieving speeds of up to 40 knots. It also features an advanced electronic control system that allows the crew to make quick adjustments in order to optimize operation.

FlyingNikka’s lightweight carbon fiber wing sail is designed to generate maximum lift. At the same time, its hydrofoils mean that the craft can rise out of the water, thereby reducing drag and increasing speed. Meanwhile, the yacht’s electronic control system allows the craft to maintain its balance while maximizing speed.

TAG Heuer CEO Frédéric Arnault said of the partnership: “We are proud to be back in the sailing universe, partnering with Mills Design’s FlyingNikka, a yacht representing the pinnacle of sailing technology.
TAG Heuer is a brand that shares the values of avant-garde spirit, speed, and cutting-edge design with FlyingNikka. We believe that this collaboration will enable us to push our racing boundaries further and to work on additional innovations.”

“TAG Heuer is the perfect partner for FlyingNikka,” noted Roberto Lacorte, owner of FlyingNikka. “Its commitment to innovation and precision mirrors our own, and we are excited to work together to further innovate on what we thought was possible in sailing.”

FlyingNikka is based in Punta Ala, Tuscany. At the boat’s helm will be skipper and owner Roberto Lacorte, who will race at several prestigious events in 2023, including the Regatta di Primavera in Portofino, the 151 Miglia Trofeo Cetilar in Livorno, the Rolex Giraglia regatta from St. Tropez to Genoa, and the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo. TAG Heuer logos will be printed on FlyingNikka’s hull and sails as part of the partnership. During the races, each team member will wear TAG Heuer-branded clothing and a TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph watch, a timepiece that represents the ultimate sporting performance and durability.

TAG Heuer’s partnership with FlyingNikka heralds the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the brand’s long history of collaborations with innovative, boundary-pushing individuals and organizations. By joining forces with FlyingNikka, TAG Heuer is not only reaffirming its passion for sailing but at the same time also its commitment to innovation, performance, and its never-ending quest for the pioneering mindset.

TAG Heuer, founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland, is a luxury watch brand that is part of LVMH Moët Hennessey Louis Vuitton SE (“LVMH”), the world’s leading luxury group. Based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland and with four production sites, TAG Heuer has 1470 employees and is active in  139  countries. TAG Heuer products are available online on the watchmaker’s website, select countries and in 160 boutiques and 3,500  points of sale worldwide. The company  is headed up by Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer.  

For 160 years, TAG Heuer has demonstrated pure avant-garde watchmaking spirit and a commitment to innovation with revolutionary technologies that have included the oscillating pinion for mechanical stopwatches in 1887, the  Mikrograph in 1916, the first automatic-winding chronograph movement – Calibre 11 – in 1969, the first luxury smartwatch in 2015, and the ground-breaking  Isograph technology in 2019, made possible through a unique collaboration with the TAG Heuer Institute. Today, the  brand’s core collection consists of three iconic families  designed  by Jack Heuer – TAG Heuer Carrera, Monaco and Autavia  – and is rounded out with the contemporary Link, Aquaracer, Formula 1 and Connected lines.  

Capturing TAG Heuer’s motto, “Don’t Crack Under Pressure”, are prominent partnerships and brand ambassadors  that express the brand’s  passion for action and  high performance.