DeAndre Hopkins, Roquan Smith & Other A-List Celebs Join Forces to Buy the United States SailGP Team

Samnur Reza | 30/11/2023
DeAndre Hopkins, Roquan Smith & Other A-List Celebs Join Forces to Buy the United States SailGP Team

The international sailing competition, the Sail Grand Prix, has recently scripted history in the US. Their team in the country was purchased by several A-list celebrities, tech enthusiasts, and even NFL players like DeAndre Hopkins, making it the biggest team acquisition in Sail GP’s history.

The lead investor in the US team is the Avenue Sports Fund, which is led by Marc Lasty. He is the CEO of Avenue Capital Group and is joined by notable actress and producer Issa Rae and boxer Deontay Wilder. Moreover, Daniel Griffith, a.k.a. Gryffin, a DJ and songwriter, is also one of the members. The team will certainly be in the right hands as two-time world champ Mike Buckley is also one of the owners of the US team.

Moreover, there are several investors from the football world. Besides DeAndre Hopkins, former DT Malik Jackson, Ravens LB Roquan Smith, and Giants LB Kayvon Thibodeaux are among the diverse investors. Notably, 20-year-old outside linebacker Dallas Turner is also one of the members.

SailGP has made a name for itself by becoming one of the fastest-growing races on the water. While France has dominated in speed, Australia has shined, winning back-to-back trophies.

DeAndre Hopkins and Roquan Smith Join Leading Water Racing Competition

The Sail Grand Prix features 10 national teams with standout athletes on every team. These boats are no joke, as France has already reached 99.94 km/h despite standing tall at a whopping 50 feet.

It has become quite popular among fans and is currently being broadcast in over 200 markets. In the US, CBS and YouTube have acquired streaming rights. The fourth and ongoing season has a total of 13 racing events, held all around the world’s most iconic waterfronts. In 10 days’ time, the next SailGP matchup will take place in Dubai.

The US SailGP team is driven by a seven-time world champ, Taylor Canfield. He took Jimmy Spithill’s place after the team was acquired midway through the 4th season.

Nevertheless, Australia has been dominant in the water racing competition and has maintained its flawless winning record. Since SailGP’s inception in 2018, Australia, led by Tom Slingsby, has maintained their three-peat wins in season 3. They are currently leading the leaderboard, with Denmark at second and the US at third.

Post Edited By: Samnur Reza
DeAndre Hopkins Jimmy Spithill Kayvon Thibodeaux Malik Jackson Roquan Smith Taylor Canfield

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Samnur Reza

Samnur Reza is an NFL editor for The SportsRush. He holds a degree in English Honors and joined The SportsRush editorial team in 2023. Having previously worked as a freelancer and several media outlets, Samnur has been religiously following the National Football League for the past six and a half years. Samnur first started following football after Tom Brady's cameo in Ted 2. It wasn’t long before he found himself grabbing a bucket of popcorn to enjoy football games. Samnur now diligently follows most NFL athletes, their family members, and the NCAA. He considers himself a diverse writer, having covered almost every corner of the football world. He does, however, have a special interest in athlete-centric stories. Whenever they engage in off-field ventures or charitable activities, Samnur enjoys reading and writing about them. Samnur had already authored over 1500 NFL-based articles before becoming an editor. His editorial journey began just a little over two years ago. Beyond football, Samnur is a true cinephile with an extensive repertoire of films. He’s also fond of cats and has a furry friend named ‘Eva.’ During his free time, Samnur enjoys playing video games, currently immersed in Elden Ring (New Game +6).

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