Sail GP collaborates with local artist, Becky Bettesworth, for a bespoke Great Britain Sail Grand Prix apparel range

As the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix – the most exciting racing on-water – prepares to return to Plymouth for the second time on 30 and 31 July, SailGP has unveiled a bespoke apparel collection in collaboration with local artist, Becky Bettesworth.

The Great Britain Sail Grand Prix will feature nine teams battling in short, intense races in identical hydro foiling F50 catamarans at speeds approaching 100 km/h.  The British boat will be driven by Sir Ben Ainslie, who will be competing in the UK for the first time in six years.  Tickets for the event are on sale at SailGP.com/GreatBritain. 

The new City Collection – created by SailGP at every Grand Prix to highlight local artists – incorporates the ever-iconic backdrop of the famous Smeaton’s Tower lighthouse and pictures a fleet of F50s racing just off the shore-line. The artwork will adorn T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags and standalone prints, which will be available to buy at the Fan Shop in the SailGP Race Village on The Hoe and online at shopsailgp.com.

When it came to the brief, Bettesworth was asked to incorporate an iconic landmark synonymous with Plymouth and quickly settled on the city’s famous lighthouse. After the initial sketches were complete, Bettesworth continued with the process which entailed drawing ‘hundreds of layers of shapes’ by hand that are later scanned into a computer
 
“When I came to do the design, I already understood the magnificence of the boats and wanted to portray that element of speed and grandeur through the poster. Smeaton’s Tower is an iconic, instantly recognisable view of Plymouth and I chose to design the artwork as if you’re on the water and heading towards it - I thought that would work well!” she said.
 
“You’ve got the be really methodical and patient,” she said. “It’s hand-drawn from a sketch and there are no shortcuts.”
 
Bettesworth previously was employed by a London-based advertising agency before moving back to the local area to start her own business in Devon. Since then, Bettesworth has collaborated with an assortment of projects for well-known organisations such as designing book covers for leading publisher, Penguin Books, and for film production company, Lionsgate, which commissioned the creation of the poster for On Chesil Beach.
 
“I started creating the posters about 10 years ago and they really struck a chord with people,” she says. “From there, it just snowballed into a business.”
 
All SailGP merchandise - including the Plymouth City Collection - can be bought online at shopsailgp.com  and at the SailGP Race Village on The Hoe.