SailGP Brings High-Speed Racing to New York Harbor

SailGP is a two-day sailing event that takes place in New York Harbor, temporarily replacing regular maritime traffic with advanced catamarans. The competition is often compared to Formula 1 but on water.

The U.S. Coast Guard secured a designated race area within New York Harbor, a typically busy port. This allowed for the safe and uninterrupted conduct of the race festivities.

Before making her first trip to New York, Nicole van der Velden was cautioned about the area’s unique sailing conditions. It wasn’t the bustling subways or distinctive local behavior that were emphasized, but the challenging wind patterns, strong currents, and visually engaging landmarks.

van der Velden is a professional sailor who competed with the Spanish team, Los Gallos, in last year’s New York Sail Grand Prix. Her experience involved navigating the harbor’s vibrant waters, culminating in a victory in 2025.

Just before the race commenced, she took time to appreciate iconic sights such as the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and the New York skyline. “You’ve seen them in many movies, then you find yourself surrounded by them,” van der Velden said. “It’s a unique and dynamic scenery for racing.”

SailGP is part of a lineup of major sporting events in the New York area, which this spring and summer includes the Knicks in the N.B.A. finals and the World Cup matches in New Jersey, all of which take place on land. During the weekend, the harbor transforms into the stage for SailGP with sleek, colorful catamarans racing across the bay set against iconic backdrops.

The high-tech boats in the race feature sails that look like upright airplane wings. “When people think of sailboat racing, they imagine triangular white sails on a blue expanse, distant and slow-moving,” said Sir Russell Coutts, who established SailGP with billionaire Larry Ellison seven years ago. “We’ve shortened the races and brought them closer to the shore for everyone to witness the speed, which is remarkable,” Coutts explained.