Sailing With The Stars

Actors, celebrities and athletes of all persuasions get into the SailGP game.

- GW Allen

RIDING IN A speedboat on the Red Sea, 34-year-old Major League Soccer striker Jozy Altidore is observing his new sailing team as it races a highly technical 50ft catamaran in the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix. The contest is part of the SailGP race series, now in its fourth season and comprising 13 events in 10 countries. As for Altidore, he represents the winds of change. Such ownership has typically been the province of elderly billionaires who self-fund America’s Cup and other entries for yacht-club bragging rights than for profit.

Many in this elite club grew up in the sport and have dedicated decades to competing, often spending tens of millions of dollars along the way; Altidore had never watched a race in person before Dubai. It’s a sign that professional sailing’s traditional funding mechanisms are being overhauled.

The soccer star is one of a growing number of high-profile athletes and entertainers investing in the sport. For Altidore, sailing is part of an ownership portfolio that includes golf, pickleball and women’s soccer. Not having grown up with halyards and teak decks underfoot, Altidore became interested when he did a deep dive into SailGP’s long-term potential and liked what he saw. So have others.

In late 2023, technology entrepreneur Ryan McKillen, his wife, Margaret, and professional sailor Mike Buckley purchased the US SailGP property for well above its US$40  million valuation. Principal investment came from Marc Lasry’s Avenue Sports Fund, which targets emerging sports teams and leagues.

The minority investor group, which includes Altidore, is populated by an eclectic mix of screen and sports celebrities, including actress Issa Rae and a consortium of National Football League players such as DeAndre Hopkins and Kayvon Thibodeaux, plus draft-bound University of Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner. Rae, who co-created and starred in the HBO series