Armstrong Foils: SailGP Inspire spends a week in New York taking the sport beyond racing.
by Laura Hampton 31 May 19:57 PDT
Youth participating in the SailGP Inspire Wingfoiling Clinics in Oyster Bay - New York - May 2026 © Meredith Rodgers/SailGP
The high-tech, hydrofoiling F50 catamarans of the Rolex SailGP Championship have officially returned to Manhattan waters, bringing boundary-pushing, 60-mph racing back to one of the world’s most iconic skylines for the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix.
But while adrenaline-fueled competition will dominate the headlines this weekend, SailGP Inspire has spent the week across New York demonstrating that the championship extends beyond racing.
SailGP Inspire, the global league’s community, education, and outreach program, has spent the days leading up to the main event proving that the championship's impact extends far beyond the racetrack. Delivered in partnership with global title partner Mubadala, SailGP Inspire is designed to build a legacy by engaging the next generation of sailors, athletes, and fans through hands-on water experiences and innovation-led learning.
Flying for the first time in Oyster Bay
The program’s mission came to life vividly this week in Oyster Bay, Long Island, where 58 local youths gathered for an intensive wingfoiling clinic on Inspire’s Armstrong Foils equipment. Returning to the venue for its second consecutive year, the clinic offered a look at the rapid growth of the sport, blending the honed skills of returning participants with the raw excitement of newcomers taking flight for the very first time.
For Kevin Quezada, a participant representing the Bronx-based non-profit Rocking the Boat, the experience was nothing short of transformational.
"I live in the Bronx, New York. It was my first time trying this and it was really good," Quezada said, adjusting his gear. "I like the water and seeing what I can do. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this."
The exposure to the cutting-edge sport has already rewritten Quezada’s aspirations. "My dream is to be a SailGP athlete. I saw SailGP for the first time last year and it was so impressive. The teamwork was amazing to me and I want to be there. I feel SailGP Inspire includes more people who want to explore the sport and try new things."
For others, the clinic served as a benchmark for personal evolution. Long Island native Julia DeAngelis, who first picked up a wingfoil at last year’s New York event, noticed a massive shift in her abilities upon returning to the water.
"It felt great to be foiling again today. I’ve seen a lot of progress, especially in my stability on the foils from last year to this year," DeAngelis reflected. "My favorite moment was getting up on the foil and feeling stable, it felt like I was flying."
She added that the true value of the program lies in dismantling the traditional barriers to entry in sailing. "SailGP Inspire opens up opportunities to see what foiling is like. Even being introduced to it for the first time, coming here and trying the sport opens up a lot of new ideas for us."
Inside 'STEM City' at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal
While young athletes were taking flight on the water in Oyster Bay, a different kind of breakthrough was happening on land at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Inside SailGP’s Tech Site, the league erected STEM City: an educational hub that will welcome more than 600 local students this week.
STEM City pulls back the curtain on the elite sporting event, allowing students to explore the underlying science, engineering, and strategy that powers the global league. Through interactive, hands-on modules, the students decoded the complex aerodynamics and fluid dynamics required to make a multi-million dollar F50 catamaran lift out of the water.
Beyond physics, the curriculum introduces students to the massive ecosystem of career pathways within modern sports entertainment. Highlighted roles range from real-time data analysis and boat building to sports media, premium hospitality, and global event operations.
What makes these programs particularly significant is how they connect elite level sport with grassroots participation, with SailGP’s world class sailors getting involved in sessions and showcasing that anything is possible to these young people. As SailGP continues to expand globally, growing the sport and inspiring the next generation remains central to the championship’s mission.
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