As a partner of renowned regattas and sailing clubs, as well as being organisers of the BMW Sailing Cup, BMW is involved in international sailing across the board. BMW Austria is continuing this comprehensive commitment in the 2012 Olympic year.

Sustainability and innovation are at the centre of the company's philosophy and all its commitments and involvements – including in the field of sport. Sailing is renowned for its exclusiveness, dynamics, and sophistication, as well as technological perfection and precision. It also enjoys a good reputation for its advances in the areas of sport and environmental protection – just like BMW vehicles, which are known for their economy, sportiness, efficiency and dynamics.

This is also underlined by the existing future-oriented cooperation between BMW Austria, the Austrian Olympic Committee (ÖOC) and the Austrian Sailing Federation, which has particular potential in 2012 due to the Austrian team's participation in the Olympic Games.

BMW Austria is also on board at many regattas in Austria and off the coast of Croatia, including events with top-class fields like the RC44 Austria Cup presented by BMW and the European Dragon Championships.

BMW Italy is partner and sponsor of the Federazione Italiana Vela (Italian Sailing Federation) and the Italian ladies match race team for the 2012 Olympic Games. Furthermore, BMW Italia is also partner of the Yacht Club Italiano in Genoa, one of the oldest and most renowned yacht clubs on the Mediterranean, which organises many important regattas (e.g. Giraglia Rolex Cup, Pirelli Cup).

BMW New Zealand is partner of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, one of the most internationally recognised and respected yacht clubs in the world. The oldest yacht club in New Zealand won the 1995 America's Cup in San Diego and successfully defended the prestigious title in its home city of Auckland in 2000. The new partnership will see the organisations collaborate across various events and activities, including the BMW Auckland Regatta.

BMW Romania is partner of the Yacht Club Romania. Together, the partners are committed to offering top-quality competitive sailing on the Black Sea in the form of the Romanian Offshore Yachting BMW Championship. The regatta series comprises the BMW Black Sea International Regatta in Romania and Bulgaria, the Nautic Life Beneteau Regatta, the Callatis Regatta and the finale, the BMW Romania Regatta.

In February 2010, BMW ORACLE Racing, the American challenger, representing the Golden Gate Yacht Club, won the 33rd America’s Cup Match in Valencia, sweeping past the Swiss defender, Alinghi, to a 2-0 victory.

At the end of the year 2010, BMW brought to a close its longstanding partnership with ORACLE Racing and thereby end its involvement in the America’s Cup. This was by mutual agreement of both partners. Both parties set ambitious goals and achieved the ultimate objective.

BMW has partnered BMW ORACLE racing since 2002. Technology and skills have transferred freely between the automaker and sailing team, most notably in the fields of structural engineering and high-modulus composite construction.

"On the design and engineering front, BMW engineers set new benchmarks in terms of intelligent lightweight design," said Ralf Hussmann, General Manager BMW Sports Marketing and Brand Cooperation. "In winning the 33rd America’s Cup, we achieved all of our ambitious goals. We will continue to be involved in the sport on a national level."

"The America’s Cup combines a technological challenge with a sporting one and success is measured by the result on the race course," added Russell Coutts CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing. "In that sense, both the team and BMW are proud that our collaboration resulted in victory." The result was celebrated in the February when the yacht USA 17, the fastest yacht in the history of the America’s Cup, won the 33rd Match with a resounding 2:0 victory off Valencia, Spain.

It was a historic race for the oldest trophy in international sport, featuring two of the most innovative boats on the planet. BMW ORACLE Racing’s trimaran, USA, powered by the largest wing sail ever built, proved to be the faster of the two multihulls, overpowering Alinghi’s catamaran in both races.