SailGP’s high-speed boat race draws a chic crowd to Governors Island

With a nail-biting catamaran collision in front of the State of Liberty and a thrillingly close finish in the final, the Rolex SailGP Championship proved it’s the world’s fastest boat race. 

The series, often described as Formula One of the seas, features 13 national teams sailing identical F50 hydrofoiling catamarans in 13 iconic bays and harbors around the globe for a total purse of $12.8 million. Each ultralight boat, worth an estimated $4 million, is fitted with twin hydrofoils that lift the hulls above the surface of the water, allowing the vessels to fly at an electrifying 60 mph.  

For the fourth time, the annual two-day Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix was held in the New York harbor. Fans in the grandstands and the invitation-only Adrenaline Lounge on Governors Island watched Australia’s BONDS Flying Roos soar to victory in the last few meters on Sunday. Emirates Great Britain claimed second place and Rockwell Canada came in third. As the league is packed with highly decorated athletes, all three teams are helmed by Olympic gold medalists who have competed (or been on a winning club) in the America’s Cup.  

The ebullient Aussie squad – whose owners include Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds – was driven by Tom Slingsby, the team’s CEO. He is also a Rolex testimonee.

As for the U.S. team, it was part of a heartbreaking three-boat crash in the third and final fleet race before the final on Sunday. The American boat smashed into the Italian F50, followed seconds later by the Brazilian catamaran. Thankfully, no one was hurt but the catamarans were seriously damaged. The organization now has just under three weeks to repair and transport them, as the Canada Sail Grand Prix starts on June 20th in Halifax. 

SailGP was created in 2018 by three-time America’s Cup winner Sir Russell Coutts and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and continues to gain in attendance and viewers across TV and social media. 

Rolex is the first-ever title partner of the series and numerous luxury and high-end hospitality brands have partnered at the league and team levels. For instance, in February, Jumeirah announced a three-season partnership with the Emirates Great Britain team. Meanwhile, Tommy Hilfiger remains one of the partners of the United States SailGP team.

The new sport draws a chic crowd, with Jackman, Ewan McGregor and New York Liberty basketball champ Breanna Stewart cheering the competition. Anne Hathaway is a part-owner of the Red Bull Italy team and French soccer star Kylian Mbappé invested in the DS Automobiles SailGP Team France.

Seems everyone is on board.