Sailing Is Having a Moment. Ferrari Climbs Aboard
Sailing is having a moment, as you’ve no doubt noticed on your social media feeds. It’s almost as if the whole world suddenly seems to have rediscovered the ancient pastime. Now, Ferrari has climbed aboard (sorry) the sailing trend with a spectacular 100-foot tri-foil monohull called the Ferrari Hypersail.
More on Ferrari’s first sailboat later. First, it’s worth taking a closer look at the recent uptick in interest in this 40,000 year-old mode of transportation.
Is Everyone Sailing Now? SHARP Investigates.
Yachting World magazine recently declared: “Social media has well and truly infiltrated our precious, antiquated sailing world. It’s terrifying to think that our secret passage to escapism and isolation at sea has been discovered.”
Yes, sailing influencers are a thing. Rolex ambassador and US ocean racer Cole Brauer raked in around half a million followers by documenting her globe-spanning adventures.
Celebs and billionaires are, naturally, in on the sailing trend too. Jeff Bezos spent around US$500 million on his lux sailing yacht, Koru. You can’t miss it. Experts predict that as more ultra-rich millennials start to spend their fortunes on big-ticket toys, “green tech” will be more appealing than ever. With a 150-foot sailboat, you can cross the Atlantic without burning any fuel, according to Robb Report.
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman just bought a sailing team, part of the booming SailGP racing series. Issa Rae is an investor, as are a handful of pro athletes. Speaking of SailGP, CBS’s broadcasts of races averaged 1.78 million viewers, marking the largest US sailing audience in 30 years. Season 4 raked in a total of 193 million viewers, an increase of 48 per cent from the prior season. And that’s not counting the 1.4 billion views across social media channels.
Indeed, competitive sailing has shattered its niche boundaries, achieving mainstream cultural penetration that rivals traditional sports. The 36th America’s Cup drew 941 million global viewers, which was a record until the 37th Cup in 2024 beat it.
There’s genuine cultural momentum here. According to Statistia, U.S. sailing participation rebounded to 4.1 million in 2023, and has been on an upward trajectory through recent years. Apparently, high school sailing is hot too? It’s one of the fastest growing youth sports, with over 500 programs in America, at least according to the U.S. Sailing, the sport’s national governing body.
What’s the Deal With the Ferrari Hypersail?
It’s gorgeous, right? All we have at the moment are a few renders and some in-progress photos, but it’s a remarkable mix of technology and art and science.
“Hypersail is a new challenge that pushes us to go beyond our boundaries and expand our technological horizons,” said Ferrari Chairman John Elkann. “At the same time, it perfectly aligns with Ferrari’s tradition, drawing inspiration from our Hypercar, three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Designing a yacht for offshore racing is perhaps the ultimate expression of endurance,” Elkann added.
Ferrari’s 100-foot fully-foiling monohull yacht — completely energy self-sufficient with no combustion engine — embodies exactly what modern luxury consumers desire: cutting-edge performance with a nice touch of eco-consciousness. It’s powered by wind, obviously, but it will also be the first yacht of its size to be entirely energy self-sufficient, according to Ferrari.
The company is also saying the project will drive innovation and close collaboration between Ferrari and its partners. Perhaps some of the lessons learned on the yacht — in terms aerodynamics, energy efficiency, power management, and kinetic energy — will wind up on the eventual successor to the F80 hypercar? We can only hope.
Sadly, you’ve probably got better luck getting one of the Ferrari F80 than you do of getting one of these Hypersails. For now at least, there is only one — and it’s currently under construction in Italy. Sea trials are set to begin this year, however.
Why Sailing? Why Now?
You could blame the pandemic, which saw an uptick in everything outdoorsy: from hiking to pickleball to dirt bikes and sailing. You could see the rise of sailing as yet part of the trend towards eco-friendly modes of transportation. Billionaires could (and should) be ditching their motor yachts for sailing yachts, which are infinitely more beautiful.
But it would, we think, be a mistake to see this as temporary pandemic-driven fad; it’s part of the bigger — and very much ongoing — fundamental shifts toward outdoor experiences, authentic adventures, and sustainable luxury choices. Besides, setting out onto the ocean and hearing nothing but the wind in the sails and waves crashing against the hull will never not be romantic. It’s honest, analogue, social and also just plain fun. If Ferrari has seen potential in this market, consider it a bellwether. Where Ferrari goes, other luxury brands follow.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FERRARI.
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