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For years, the sight of blue and green jerseys boarding the FRS Clipper has been a familiar one, as fans from Victoria made the trek south for a Seahawks Sunday. Now, that journey is officially part of the experience. The Seattle Seahawks have partnered with FRS Clipper to become a travel partner for the Seahawks, a move that aims to grow the bond between Victoria sports fans and Seattle’s major league scene. The partnership includes special “Sailgate” sailings from Victoria to Seattle, turning the two-hour-and-45-minute trip into a pregame celebration. Fans heading to Lumen Field will travel together in a dedicated fan zone with Seahawks-themed games, contests, and even custom drinks. For FRS Clipper director of sales and marketing Nik Coutinho, it’s a natural fit, and one that’s been a long time coming. “We’ve always seen Seahawks jerseys on our sailings,” Coutinho said. “Even though we didn’t necessarily need a partnership because people were already going, it made sense to formalize it and really enhance that experience.” The new Sailgate sailings begin Nov. 8, with dedicated seating for up to 50 fans per trip and potential spillover space depending on demand. Ticket holders will also receive free upgrades to Vista Class. The partnership builds off a successful fall for FRS Clipper, which saw the company add special sailings to accommodate Victoria fans heading to Seattle for the Blue Jays’ ALDS matchup with the Mariners. That initiative sold out in less than 10 days and saw nearly 300 passengers make the trip, according to Coutinho. “That experience really reinforced what we already knew, that people from Vancouver Island are willing to travel south for sports and events,” Coutinho said. “We don’t have Major League Baseball or NFL here (in Victoria), so being able to make that connection more accessible is important.” While FRS Clipper has long been a link between Victoria and Seattle, this latest move taps into the passion of sports fans who have turned the ferry into part of their weekend routine. Coutinho said the goal is to eventually see groups of season ticket holders or fan clubs from Victoria travelling together regularly for Seahawks games. “They’ll go down, stay in the same hotels, come back together, it’s about building that sense of community,” he said. “Sports have that uncanny ability to bring people together, even rival teams. We’ve been connecting Victoria and Seattle for 40 years, and this is just another way to keep that tradition going.” As more fans from Vancouver Island look south for big-league experiences, Coutinho sees sports tourism as a growing opportunity, and one that the Clipper is perfectly positioned to serve. “Whether it’s the Blue Jays in July or the Seahawks on a Sunday, we’re helping people get there,” he said. “And we want to make sure the journey is as memorable as the game itself.” The ‘Sailgate’ sailings will take place at 5 p.m. on the night before the (Nov. 9, Nov. 30, Dec. 14 and Dec. 18) games.
