Latest news with #LeahDavis
Elle
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Is High-Speed Sailing the New Formula 1?
Nearly 10,000 fans gathered this past weekend to watch some of the world's top sailors race past the Statue of Liberty, with the iconic New York City skyline as their backdrop. SailGP, a fast-growing sailing league in its fifth season, held the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix in New York Harbor for crowds seated in stands along the water's edge. The investors and organizers behind SailGP believe that high-speed boats and exciting athletes can bring young fans to a sport that many consider stuffy and inaccessible. The race was the third in the US Rolex SailGP Championship, following events in Los Angeles and San Francisco; in total, the season will include 14 events on five continents, with hopes to expand in coming years. Attendees saw a brutal race through the rain on Saturday, followed by a final round on Sunday. The Spanish team took the top prize, with New Zealand and France ranking in second and third, respectively. Saturday's weather made it 'a super, super tricky day,' said Anna Weis, an American sailor. 'These are the kind of days [where] as sailors you're coming back and just scratching your head and thinking, Wow, this is really hard.' The league hopes that the international audience that has fueled the explosive growth of Formula 1 will find similar thrills on the water, according to Leah Davis, SailGP's chief marketing officer. According to SailGP's chief marketing officer Leah Davis, the league hopes to capture the excitement of the international audience that has driven Formula 1's explosive growth—and deliver that same level of thrill on the water. 'How do we take sailing to a modern, younger, global audience in a format that makes sense to today's sporting landscape?' she asks. 'We've spent so many years really perfecting the product on the water, but now it's all about how do we scale the experience and the fun? We call it après-sail, which is our take on that guest experience.' Last week, Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds became co-owners of the Australian team, while other investors include Anne Hathaway and Issa Rae. DJ Khaled holds a unique role with SailGP as its official Chief Hype Officer. 'Sailing as a sport has always been quite hard to bring to people visibly, to bring close to the spectators,' says Nicole van der Velden, a member of the victorious Spanish team. 'The platform that SailGP has made makes it really attractive for people to watch, [including] people that have never been into sailing. It's really cool to see that it's reaching a bigger public.' Adds Davis: 'Once people see it, it's pretty easy to fall in love within the first few minutes. You can see it's short, sharp flying boats. That's definitely new. We want to be a bit fun…our brand is [about] getting people engaged with a bit of a twinkle in our eye.'
Time Out
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The F1 of sailing competitions is cruising over to Governors Island next week
Strap in, NYC. The world's fastest sailboats are skimming into town for a waterfront spectacle like no other. SailGP, the globe-hopping, wind-powered championship often dubbed 'Formula 1 on water,' drops anchor at Governors Island next weekend, June 7 and 8, for the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix, a two-day summer launch party disguised as a sailing race. Twelve national teams will face off in a blur of spray and speed aboard identical F50 foiling catamarans—sleek, high-tech vessels that fly across the water at over 60mph (that's faster than the wind, if you're keeping score). Unlike traditional regattas, SailGP brings the action right up to shore, with grandstand seating giving fans front-row views just yards from the course. But this isn't just for sailing purists: it's a cultural event, a tech showcase and a summer social scene all in one. 'The Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix is more than just a race—it's a celebration of speed, innovation and the vibrant energy of summer in the city,' said SailGP's chief marketing officer Leah Davis. Translation? It will be a very cool weekend, on and off the water. Grammy and Tony Award-winner Patina Miller will perform the national anthem on Saturday to kick things off. Throughout the weekend, expect a lineup of DJ sets, live brass bands, break dancers and hype hosts revving up the crowd. Fans will wave flags for their favorite national teams, pose with oversized SailGP letters and even meet some of the sport's top athletes between races. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SailGP (@sailgp) Those curious about what it feels like to actually pilot a catamaran can try the SailGP simulator, a wildly popular immersive setup complete with real steering wheels, replicated racecourses and live leaderboard tracking. VR stations and the SailGP mobile app take it up a notch, letting fans use their phones (or their heads) to get stats, see race overlays in real time and basically feel like they're in the cockpit. And in classic NYC fashion, celebs are already circling. The newly announced owners of Team Red Bull Italy include actress Anne Hathaway and her husband Adam Shulman, alongside jewelry scion Evan Yurman, Muse Capital partner Assia Grazioli Venier and Italian entrepreneur Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo (a.k.a. Mr. Jessica Chastain). Sailing legend and Red Bull Italy CEO Jimmy Spithill—the star of the upcoming Paramount+ docuseries Uncharted: SailGP —will be racing for glory, fame and a share of the $12.8 million prize purse.
Straits Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Apres-ski to hit the high seas: La Folie Douce heads to Portsmouth
PORTSMOUTH, England - - Champagne sprays and DJ decks will trade mountain peaks for ocean spray this summer as apres-ski pioneers La Folie Douce bring their high-altitude hedonism to Britain's premier sailing spectacle. SailGP, taking place in Portsmouth on July 19–20, will mark its return to British shores with a new waterfront lounge where the party atmosphere of the French Alps meets high-octane sailing just metres from shore, organisers said on Thursday. 'SailGP is thrilled to team up with world-class hospitality brands such as La Folie Douce and celebrated chef Ollie Dabbous,' said SailGP Chief Marketing Officer Leah Davis. 'It promises to be an unforgettable apres-sail experience that fans will not want to miss.' Founded in Val d'Isere in 1974 by Luc Reversade, La Folie Douce has expanded to eight locations across prestigious French ski resorts including Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens, becoming the definitive high-altitude party destination combining gourmet dining with theatrical performances and DJ sets. Some 20,000 spectators are expected at SailGP's first appearance on British shores in three years, where they will witness 12 national teams racing F50 catamarans at speeds exceeding 100 km/h. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
01-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Sailing-Apres-ski to hit the high seas: La Folie Douce heads to Portsmouth
(Corrects typo in headline, no change to text) PORTSMOUTH, England : -Champagne sprays and DJ decks will trade mountain peaks for ocean spray this summer as apres-ski pioneers La Folie Douce bring their high-altitude hedonism to Britain's premier sailing spectacle. SailGP, taking place in Portsmouth on July 19–20, will mark its return to British shores with a new waterfront lounge where the party atmosphere of the French Alps meets high-octane sailing just metres from shore, organisers said on Thursday. 'SailGP is thrilled to team up with world-class hospitality brands such as La Folie Douce and celebrated chef Ollie Dabbous,' said SailGP Chief Marketing Officer Leah Davis. 'It promises to be an unforgettable apres-sail experience that fans will not want to miss.' Founded in Val d'Isere in 1974 by Luc Reversade, La Folie Douce has expanded to eight locations across prestigious French ski resorts including Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens, becoming the definitive high-altitude party destination combining gourmet dining with theatrical performances and DJ sets. Some 20,000 spectators are expected at SailGP's first appearance on British shores in three years, where they will witness 12 national teams racing F50 catamarans at speeds exceeding 100 km/h.
Reuters
01-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Apres-ski to hits the high seas: La Folie Douce heads to Portsmouth
Summary Companies La Folie Douce brings apres-ski vibe to Portsmouth's Sail Grand Prix SailGP partners with La Folie Douce and chef Ollie Dabbous 20,000 spectators expected for high-speed F50 catamaran races PORTSMOUTH, England, May 1 (Reuters) - - Champagne sprays and DJ decks will trade mountain peaks for ocean spray this summer as apres-ski pioneers La Folie Douce bring their high-altitude hedonism to Britain's premier sailing spectacle. SailGP, taking place in Portsmouth on July 19–20, will mark its return to British shores with a new waterfront lounge where the party atmosphere of the French Alps meets high-octane sailing just metres from shore, organisers said on Thursday. 'SailGP is thrilled to team up with world-class hospitality brands such as La Folie Douce and celebrated chef Ollie Dabbous,' said SailGP Chief Marketing Officer Leah Davis. 'It promises to be an unforgettable apres-sail experience that fans will not want to miss.' Founded in Val d'Isere in 1974 by Luc Reversade, La Folie Douce has expanded to eight locations across prestigious French ski resorts including Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens, becoming the definitive high-altitude party destination combining gourmet dining with theatrical performances and DJ sets. Some 20,000 spectators are expected at SailGP's first appearance on British shores in three years, where they will witness 12 national teams racing F50 catamarans at speeds exceeding 100 km/h.
