Ever since Formula 1’s first Miami Grand Prix two years ago, there’s been a new buzz about everything racing-related in the Americas. But it’s not just open-wheel race cars that thrill race fans.
This weekend, the Grand Prix sailing competition SailGP touches down in Bermuda, May 4-5, 2024. The international racing series goes year-round and features national teams using high-performance F50 foiling catamarans that race at speeds up to 55 kilometers per hour.
SailGP was founded five years ago by Oracle founder and executive chairman Larry Ellison. This year is the third year in a row in which SailGP will stage a mid-season race in Bermuda. Other stops in the racing series consist of Halifax, Canada (June 1-2), New York City (June 22-23) and San Francisco (July 13-14).
Currently, the SailGP leaderboard is topped by Peter Burling’s New Zealand team, with 68 points, followed by 2nd place Australia, with 59 points, led by Tom Slingsby.
Burling, a 33-year-old racer who won a gold medal for New Zealand at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, calls the island destination approximately 600 miles off of North Carolina’s coast one of his favorite places to compete and literally a second home.
“I'm really looking forward to returning to Bermuda this weekend. It's a place I lived for quite a long time, building up to the 2017 America's Cup,” Burling said in an interview this week.
“I know the (Great) Sound incredibly well. Bermuda holds a lot of fun memories,” Burling added, “so it's always really exciting to return.”
The current 2023-2024 SailGP season kicked off in Chicago last June 16-17, a race that New Zealand won. Burling’s team also won the most recent race, in Christchurch, New Zealand, March 23-24. Bermuda, he said, has a special look that just adds to his team’s excitement.
“The waters are such a beautiful color, and it always looks so amazing on TV to see the F50s ripping around out there. (I’m) hoping for strong winds and a positive outcome for (our) newly rebranded Black Foils, the first time taking flight on the waters.
Other teams in the competition and SailGP series are Spain, France, Canada, Switzerland, and Germany, as well as Rockwool, representing Denmark and the Emirates GBR, carrying the flag for the United Kingdom.
The United States team is fronted by US Virginia Islands native Taylor Canfield. The team currently sits in 6th place, with 48 points. Canfield’s team won the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cádiz, Spain, on October 23-24, 2023.
On a related note, just this week, SailGP announced that Olympic gold medalist and ski legend Lindsey Vonn joined the United States SailGP Team as a member of the board of directors.
Lindsey Vonn attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Universal Pictures "Jurassic World Dominion" on ... [+]
Australia’s team leader, Slingsby, New Zealand’s biggest rival, also considers Bermuda a special place for catamaran racing.
“It's definitely one of my favorite venues—probably my second favorite venue behind Sydney.” Slingsby, who lived in Bermuda for three years, said the friendships he’s made on the island are an added benefit of making it a weekend. “The sailing is unbelievable. It's beautiful, with crystal clear waters and a nice breeze, so I'm really looking forward to heading back to Bermuda this weekend for SailGP.”
SailGP’s racing boats, the F50, have a 50-foot hull and were adapted from the AC50s used in the America's Cup. One major modification is the F50’s control systems and modular wingsails, which make the sailboat one of the fastest racing units, boasting top speeds of 52.2 knots, or 60 mph.
F50s belonging to the United States’ and Japan’s racing teams were featured in acclaimed director Christopher Nolan's 2020 action thriller film “Tenet.”
Spain’s Diego Botín, whose team is in third place in the standings with 55 points, sees Bermuda as a critical race that may help his darkhorse team stage an upset come July.
“A perfect day would be 25-30 km/h wind conditions with all ten F50s racing tight and with the Spanish team entering the final of the event,” Botín said. “We are confident we can do it. If we are consistent in the remainder of the season, we have a good chance of being in the Grand Final in San Francisco, the ultimate goal.”
The previous two Bermuda Grand Prix races were won by Slingsby's Australia SailGP Team (2023), and Ben Ainslie's Great Britain SailGP team (2022).
Bermuda: A burgeoning sporting destination
While Bermuda’s blue waters and ocean breezes make it a must-go destination for sailing enthusiasts, the island nation is also known for other sports.
Last weekend, Bermuda held the USA Track & Field Bermuda Grand Prix 2024 on April 26-28. Athletes gearing up for the 2024 Paris Olympics competed in running events like the 100m, 200m, and 400m, as well as the long jump and triple jump.
Bermuda has also become a popular spot for other beloved sports, from rugby to cricket to golf.
In the fall, Bermuda will host the Bermuda Celebrity Golf Invitational. Spanning four days, the all-inclusive event is packed with tournaments and activities for all ages, where avid golfers can tee off with sporting legends, actors, and other celebrities who love golf.
Retired NFL pros Terrell Owens and Byron Chamberlain have made the October tournament a key part of their golf game, as well as NBA notables Byron Scott, Metta World Peace, and Anthony “Spud” Webb. This year’s Bermuda Invitational will take place October 4-8, with the field to be announced soon.
Bermuda comprises more golf courses per square mile than anywhere other location in the world. With eight golf courses across the 21-square-mile island, a course is almost always right next door.
Moreover, the Gulf Stream helps make Bermuda a year-round sporting destination, giving the island nation a temperate, pleasant climate 365 days a year.
Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens tees off during last year's Bermuda Celebrity ... [+]
The Cup Match Cricket Classic takes place August 1-2, 2024, and is, as the Bermuda Tourism Authority calls it, “one of the most energized, exciting, and significant holiday weekends” in sports.
The “Classic” is a two-day cricket match between rival teams Somerset Cricket Club and St. George's Cricket Club. The entire island comes together not only to enjoy the sport but also to mark one of the most monumental events in Bermuda’s history: the abolition of slavery on August 1, 1834.
But it’s not just sports popular amongst those who hail from the British Commonwealth that makes Bermuda a key destination. The island is also known for its hiking and biking, its reputation as a top spot for tennis, as well as the burgeoning worldwide pickleball craze.
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