Each team has to design and build their own sailboat. These things are much bigger than one might think. They have massive wing structures and enormous sails that take roomfuls of machine to sew. In fact, the last boat to win had the biggest wing structure ever constructed, even larger than that of any airplane or other type of boat. This makes it a contest of engineering as much as a racing sport.

Sponsorship, obviously, is a big part of these events, as it isn’t easy to pay for all of this with the money generated by a yacht club. The event takes place on the water, where it’s hard to sell tickets to audiences who can better keep up with the races by watching them at home on TV. Team Oracle USA is sponsored by- you guessed it- Oracle. There is a host of others as well, including luxury watchmakers TAG Heuer. Other teams have also been sponsored by luxury watch firms, such as Omega, who sponsors the Emirates New Zealand Team. If it seems at all odd that watch brands would be interested in sponsoring sailing competitions, just remember that many watches are produced specifically for use at sea. These watches must have sturdy movements and impeccable accuracy, so with a few flairs in design they can often serve as luxury watches for those who don’t take to the sea on a regular basis.

TAG Heuer has actually gone a little further than just a simple donation of money. The firm brought in businessmen and journalists from many different places to give them an inside look at the opening events of the America’s Cup World Series. They got a chance to tour the place Team Oracle USA calls home. It isn’t very far from the site of the races that the guests were there to watch. These lucky spectators also got to have a look at the brand new 72-foot sailboat that the team will be racing in future events. Its technology is so new that they are working hard to keep it a secret. No photographs of this beauty were allowed, so for most fans of the sport, it won’t be seen until it makes its racing debut, either at the Louis Vuitton Cup or at the finals.

TAG Heuer’s CEO was there as well, and he spoke about the relationship between the brand and the team, referring to it as a partnership rather than a sponsorship. The company has worked closely with the team to create watches and other equipment specifically designed for their needs. One such is the USA Aquaracer, which has some added tweaks just for the competition, such as the marking on the chronograph that helps record the countdown minutes to the race.

Team Oracle USA has a team for each of its two boats that will be competing, skippered by Russell Coutts and Jimmy Spithill. Their skills will be tested during the races, as will their equipment. For the watchmakers and makers of the other instruments involved, this might be the most important part of the competition.