Mount Gay & Sailing: A Historic Connection

For more than 320 years, Mount Gay has shared an authentic and enduring connection with the sailing community.

Founded in Barbados in 1703, Mount Gay grew alongside the island’s maritime history. As Barbados became a major hub for transatlantic trade, Mount Gay Rum naturally found its way aboard merchant and naval ships, becoming a favorite among sailors for its exceptional quality and ability to withstand long sea voyages. Sailors, merchants and ship owners helped introduce Mount Gay to ports around the world, establishing a relationship with the sea that continues to define the brand today.

What began as a practical companion for life at sea has evolved into one of Mount Gay’s strongest brand pillars. Today, the world’s oldest running rum distillery proudly continues this legacy by supporting sailing events across the globe, celebrating the people, traditions and spirit that unite the international sailing community.

Sailing Events Around the World

USA

The United States remains one of Mount Gay’s strongest sailing markets, with an extensive calendar of regattas throughout the year.

Helly Hansen Sailing World Regattas

Each regatta featured Mount Gay’s signature Cocktail Competition, held on Friday evening and judged by Mount Gay team members alongside sailing enthusiasts, creating memorable moments both on and off the water.

UK

Cowes Week

Mount Gay’s partnership with Cowes Week remains one of the brand’s most iconic sailing collaborations.

As the Official Rum Sponsor, Mount Gay proudly brought together the world’s oldest running rum distillery and the world’s oldest running regatta. Since 1826, Cowes Week has brought together amateur sailors, professional racers and Olympic athletes from around the world, making it one of sailing’s most prestigious annual events.

The event included:

• The Mount Gay Rum Shack appearance
• Introduction of the new Mount Gay Bajan Spiced to the sailing community
• A dedicated Mount Gay bar at Cowes Yacht Haven serving a curated cocktail menu, including Frozen Piña Coladas, Strawberry Daiquiris, Miami Vice, Spiced ‘n’ Stormy, Rum & Coke and Captain’s Triple Rum Punch
• Daily Mount Gay Après-Sail events featuring games, competitions and entertainment
• Over 8,000 people enjoyed Mount Gay cocktails at the event
• Partnerships with five restaurants and bars across Cowes, showcasing seasonal cocktail menus featuring Mount Gay Bajan Spiced

Caribbean

Barbados Sailing Week

As Mount Gay’s home regatta, Barbados Sailing Week remains one of the brand’s most authentic and meaningful partnerships.

Beginning on 15 January 2026, the week featured Coastal Racing, Kitesurfing and Wing Foiling before culminating in the iconic Mount Gay Round Barbados Race on 21 January.

Spectators enjoyed the action from viewpoints around the island while discovering Mount Gay cocktails throughout the event.

The week concluded with the Closing Awards Ceremony and the traditional Mount Gay Red Cap Party at the Barbados Cruising Club, bringing together sailors, volunteers, organisers, sponsors and supporters to celebrate another successful edition.

Barbados Sailing Week continues to reinforce Barbados’ reputation as one of the Caribbean’s premier sailing destinations while showcasing Mount Gay’s heritage at home.

Germany

Kieler Woche

Mount Gay returned as the Official Rum Partner of Kieler Woche, Germany’s largest sailing event. The activation celebrated sailors and visitors throughout the week with:

The partnership successfully brought the spirit of Barbados to one of Europe’s largest sailing festivals while introducing new sailors to Mount Gay’s spirit of adventure.

The Mount Gay Red Cap

Few symbols are as closely associated with Mount Gay as the iconic Red Cap.

Today, Mount Gay supports hundreds of sailing events and regattas worldwide, with the Red Cap remaining one of the most sought-after symbols in the sailing community.

Unlike traditional promotional merchandise, the Red Cap cannot simply be purchased; it must be earned. Awarded through racing achievements, event participation or dedicated sailing challenges, it represents much more than a souvenir. It is a badge of honour, symbolising achievement, authenticity, camaraderie and a shared passion for the sea.

From prestigious international regattas to local sailing communities, the Red Cap continues to unite sailors across generations and remains one of Mount Gay’s most distinctive and recognisable brand assets.

Eclipse Navy Strength

Just as the Red Cap has become a symbol of achievement within the sailing community, Eclipse Navy Strength embodies Mount Gay’s maritime heritage through the rum itself, celebrating centuries of shared history between sailors and the world’s oldest running rum distillery.

Eclipse Navy Strength pays tribute to the centuries-old relationship between rum and life at sea. Bottled at 57.1% ABV, this bold expression takes inspiration from the traditional “navy strength” style of rum historically carried aboard ships by sailors and the British Royal Navy. Navy Strength is a historical term dating back to the years when boats would carry large quantities of rum. In the days of cannonball battles, wet gunpowder that would not light would be a death sentence in battle. However, sailors realised that if the rum was strong enough and spilled, the gunpowder would still light and be used, and so this was what was carried on ships; the term has remained ever since. The historic Navy Strength used in the US was 57.1% abv, and that is the reference Master Blender Trudiann Branker chose for her Eclipse Navy Strength blend.

Designed for both sipping and cocktails, such as the Navy Paloma or Navy Punch, it embodies the adventurous spirit of seafaring while honoring Mount Gay’s Bajan roots. As a modern expression inspired by the brand’s legacy, Eclipse Navy Strength reinforces the authentic bond between Mount Gay and the global sailing community.