Long before Hollywood started buying into SailGP teams, it was very obvious where the stars are. They are behind the wheels, in the cockpits, and on the trampolines of the incredibly fast, foiling and flying space age F50 catamarans reminiscent of “Formula One” on the water, but more like IndyCar on the racecourse.

The boats are a painted in a kaleidoscope of fluorescent, pastel and vibrant colors reflecting their respective home nations or corporate partners as they fly around the 14 host cities this season 

Looking more like fighter pilots than sailors the men and women athletes that comprise the crews of these futuristic carbon fiber creations often spend a majority of their race-time flying feet above the water at unheard of speeds measured in knots, miles per hours or as viewed on your screens be it on a TV or phone in kph’s approaching a 100+  as they angle for position against 12 (soon to be 14) teams jockeying for the podium positions as they work to accumulate points towards the Season 5 Finale in Abu Dhabi this November. 

Whether they are flying right side up, sideways or occasionally upside down, SailGP has become the premier sailing platform on the planet, eclipsing Grant Dalton's version of the America's Cup which is struggling with a new Protocol and all its nuances, quirks and legal hurdles inherent in an event bound by a document written in 1887. 

Series founder Oracle’s Larry Ellison (who is also sponsors the Red Bull F1 team that multiple World Champion Max Verstappen drives for) with CEO Russell Coutts have SailGP “powered by nature” thriving on all cylinders with new franchises and ownership groups comprised in many cases of royalty of stage and screen or champions of multiple sports ranging from skiing to soccer (football).

The Mubadala New York City SailGP on historic Governors Island provided plenty of thrills and chills in front of sold out and packed grandstands as the “lights are always bright on Broadway” on a roller coaster weekend of exciting action amid heavy rain and intermittent gusty winds on a patchwork racecourse that challenged the athletes and teams from start to finish.

Honors went to the Spanish Team for a second consecutive event as they have achieved a small lead over the Aussies and Kiwis halfway through the season as they head over to Europe for the next several races.

The highlight though was Mubadala Team Brazil's race victory for Martine Grael who finally shattered SailGP's “glass” ceiling as the first women athlete in the League to capture a victory as a driver.

Grael said the team had been “ticking a lot of boxes and made adjustments in how we sail and trim” in capturing that crucial first win adding that “New York was the first event where the team felt they had their eyes on the racecourse, rather than just the boat.” 

“I think our eyes are broadening a little bit, we’re getting more corner vision and being able to see more stuff on the racecourse,” said Grael, who is a multiple Olympic Champion. “It’s normal for the first few events to be so focused on the boat that we couldn’t see that much other stuff going on but now it’s definitely working the right way. I think when you have erratic conditions, you get more passing lanes and if you can look outside you can get some passing opportunities.”

As for the Spanish: “America is a special place for us and it's amazing to win again here,” said Spain SailGP Team driver Diego Botin.”I think we struggled a bit at the beginning of the day with how we were sailing the boat. The conditions were super hard, with a very up-and-down breeze and strong gusts. We didn't find our groove to begin with, but throughout the day we got better and better and we got a good groove in the final.”

The U.S. SailGP Team, racing in windy conditions on the Hudson River, finished in 12th place in the standings.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling representing your country and that sense of national pride that everyone has that came out to watch us,” said USA Team driver Taylor Canfield. “I think we just have to keep growing and focus on our progress, like how are we going to make those next big gains. Despite finishing here at the bottom, we made gains this week. We just keep chipping away at it and it'll come. It's within reach.”

Celebrity names were in attendance including Colombian singing sensation J Balvin, CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel, Saturday Night Live cast member Devon Walker, former NBA player Jeremy Lamb and MTV Catfish host Nev Schulman.

SailGP is not without its challenges as in the last event in San Francisco the wingsail of the Australian boat exploded and collapsed without warning at the start of the final fleet race which left the 6-person crew stunned and shocked, but thankfully unhurt.

This led to a complete structural review of multiple elements of all the boats in the SailGP fleet and the cancelation of one of Season 5’s most anticipated race weekends in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in early May and leaving the New York event in serious jeopardy. 

“After a thorough review, our engineers and technicians have discovered an issue with the bonding of the core material in the shear web of some of the wingsails, which could potentially compromise the structural integrity of those wingsails,” said Coutts. “As such, we’ve made the prudent choice to suspend the (Rio) event, giving us sufficient time to complete repairs and conduct any further investigations.” 

Each F50 will receive an upgraded “Main Element 1 (ME1)” before racing begins. It is the area of the wingsail closest to the F50 platform, which bears the most load in racing conditions.

“These new components for the wingsails feature an Aluminum Nomex core and increased laminate, which means the new shear webs will be approximately twice as strong.” explained Coutts. “This is a major refit, with multiple teams working around the clock on extraction, production, design, testing, and reinstallation, split between the American Magic facility in Pensacola, Florida, and at SailGP Technologies in the U.K. It’s a huge team effort, but our fans can expect all twelve teams back on the racecourse!”

For the New York event which is still the largest entertainment market in the world SailGP announced the addition of Hollywood star power with Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds buying stakes in the Italian and Australian Teams.

Interstellar, The Devil Wears Prada and Batman star actress Hathaway adds yet another layer in the continued growth of SailGP. 

Hathaway is part of a consortium of investors and leading top sports managers. Brand building and is led by Assia Grazioli-Venier, founding partner of Muse Capital, and luxury brand entrepreneur Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo. Adam Shulman (Hathaway’s husband) and actress Mariam Leone are members of the investor group in the Italian team with its CEO and Co-Owner former America’s Cup Champion and HoF Inductee Jimmy Spithill.

“The new Red Bull Italy Sail GP team embodies a powerful convergence of innovation, athletic excellence, and a deep commitment to inclusive leadership, particularly in advancing the role of women in high-performance sport,” said Hathaway who was born in Brooklyn and calls the Upper West Side home. “Our deep and enduring love for Italy makes this opportunity especially meaningful, and we’re so excited to have been invited to support a project that reflects both tradition and transformative vision.”

“Anne brings both vision and values to the table. We hope her involvement encourages more people to look under the hood of this league and realize this is not our grandfather's sailing,” said Grazioli-Venier. “Her presence reflects the kind of team we're building, one with heart, talent, and purpose,” was drawn to SailGP because of the “rare global platform where men and women compete together on the same team at the highest level.”

“Changing the face of sailing requires transformation both on and off the water. It takes a shift in culture. It demands new pioneers and change-makers who are ready to reimagine the future of our sport. The formation of a women-led ownership group marks a significant milestone in that journey,” said Fiona Morgan, SailGP's Chief Purpose Officer.

The recent intensified embrace between Hollywood and SailGP is no coincidence as Ellison's son David is a film producer. He owns the production company Skydance, which produced the latest Tom Cruise Mission Impossible film and is currently trying to acquire Paramount which is CBS’s parent company. 

At the press conference in New York, Team Australia CEO Tom Slingsby presented his new team partners and the new main sponsor as “Bonds Flying Roos” (underwear) along with their new stakeholders. Jackman and Reynolds (who was in attendance). The Australian and his Canadian-American colleague are known in the Deadpool and Wolverine Marvel action films. 

This comes with a list of existing celebrity investors including skier Lindsey Vonn with the USA Team and soccer star Kylian Mbappe who bought a stake in the French Team.     

Ellison and Coutts launched SailGP in 2018, which aligned somewhat with their original vision of the America’s Cup when they controlled the event as revenue between $100 million and $150 million is expected this year. In addition Rolex signed a 10-year deal to become SailGP’s title sponsor last year. 

Now the SailGP traveling carnival heads over the Atlantic for dates in Europe as the United States Team continues to struggle with no solution in sight, as the Brazilians and French move forward on an upward trajectory and the Spanish, Aussies and Kiwis tenuously maintain narrow margins for the Podium Championship with the Northstar Canadians and Brits just off the cuff waiting for the slightest of mistakes by the leading trio.