Sunreef Yachts made global headlines in early June last year when tennis legend Rafa Nadal received his 80 Sunreef Power Great White at his home port in Mallorca. Soon after, on World Oceans Day on June 8, the Polish builder announced a tie-up with another sporting icon when it named Nico Rosberg as the ambassador for its new Eco range of luxury solar-powered sailing and power catamarans.
Rosberg is best-known for a high-profile Formula One career that included 23 wins in 11 years, including nine in 2016 when he won a gripping World Championship, pipping Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton after finishing runner-up to the Brit the previous two years. However, just five days after securing the championship at the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi, the Monaco-based German announced his surprise retirement from the sport at the age of 31.
Since then, Rosberg has established himself as a successful e-mobility and green tech entrepreneur and investor, leading to his ongoing partnership with Sunreef. However, despite a globe-trotting sporting career that overlapped with Nadal’s for many years, Rosberg never met the Spaniard until a chance encounters in the Balearic Islands late last year.
“It was funny,” he smiles. “I was in a bay in Formentera, south of Ibiza, and Rafa suddenly arrived on his new yacht, Great White. I had never met him before, but we both had the Sunreef connection, so I swam over to his boat.
“It was really nice. He said, ‘Oh, it’s so cool that you’re also in partnership with Sunreef for their Eco range. Let’s have a chat.’ He was super happy to have his boat, so we just sat on the back and had a nice conversation.”
This story is from the Issue 58 edition of Yacht Style.
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This story is from the Issue 58 edition of Yacht Style.
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