28 August 2025 |
“I want to bring the world of sailing to a new audience,” explains Mike Buckley. “I want people who have never been exposed to the sport to fall in love with it, just like I did.”
The SailUS GP CEO and teammate recently flew back to New York from Sassnitz, Germany, where he competed in the second race in the Rolex SailGP Championship 2025 schedule, backed by billionaire Larry Ellison and World Champion Russell Coutts. In the flourishing global racing league, 12 teams compete for a winner-takes-all $1 million prize in 15 foot, F50 catamarans, designed to fly out over the water, allowing them to hit speeds of over 100 km/h, when conditions allow. The two-time World champion is understandably tired, but when it comes to discussing the sport he took up at boarding school, he is full of enthusiasm.
When it comes to sailing, Buckley is a self-described ‘late bloomer’ – “my phone wasn’t exactly ringing with college scholarships or professional opportunities” – but his determination to succeed and willingness to put in long hours, propelled him onto high-profile race teams and helped to create an impressive professional career that spans over 15 years. His philosophy is simple, “ you just need to put in the work” and he values long gains over quick wins; “ if you’re progressing, you will get results.”
It’s a strategy that has served him well both on and off the water. The sportsman’s desire to forge a new and more diverse era of American sailing became reality in 2023, when after years of planning he finally acquired 100% ownership of SailGP’s US Team with friend and partner Ryan McKillen, alongside an impressive roster of celebrity investors including actor Issa Rae, world champion heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder and DJ and producer Gryffin.
“I’m coming to the end of my sailing career, but I want to share the passion I had for the sport, with a wider audience,” Buckley explains. “Sailing, particularly at the elite level, has long battled the perception of exclusivity, but when SailGP came along, it was the perfect platform for us not only to compete, but also build a viable, commercial business.” The league’s focus on speed, technology, and sustainability is impressive: an entire fleet powered by renewable energy by 2025, 90-minute events and a digital focus sparks interest in even the most casual of spectators and allows a much greater understanding of the sport’s nuances.
In today’s media landscape, leveraging the universal appeal of sports while maintaining an air of aspiration, excellence, and youthfulness is a key communication tool; Buckley knew that partnering with a fashion brand would be integral to his team’s success. The only name on his wishlist was Tommy Hilfiger.
Sport– and sailing in particular – is part of the American brand’s DNA. Their iconic logo debuted in 1985 as a nautical-inspired flag, integrating founder Thomas Jacob Hilfiger’s initials – TJH – in maritime signals. In the early 1990s the first Sailing Gear collection was launched, since then the brand has expertly woven sport and sailing codes into all of its collections.
“Tommy is legendary and has a sixth sense for partnering with sports on the rise,” Buckley explains. The brand had previously backed solo sailor Brad Van Liew in a round-the-world race and celebrated back-to-back victories at the Volvo Extreme 40 Grand Prix with the Hilfiger Sailing Team in 2005 and 2006, so the sportsman knew that there was potential to collaborate.
So, how did the two meet? “Well if you really want to know I first DM’d Tommy in 2018, to ask if he would be a brand partner, as I couldn’t think of a better brand to partner with, he shares. “Even though I knew the likelihood of him seeing my message was extremely low. Of course I didn’t hear back. A year later I was watching the Met Gala – Tommy & Dee were decked out in red, white and blue. They were accompanied by the master of sport and a style, Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton, donned head-to-toe in Tommy Hilfiger. I thought it was time I sent another DM, but I chickened out. However, the next week, I ran into Lewis at Soho House and decided it must be a sign. So I sent Tommy another DM.”
It will come as no surprise that a small hurdle such as an unanswered instagram message four years before the acquisition did not deter the sportsman: he pursued the partnership relentlessly.
Fast forward to 2024 and Tommy Hilfiger announced its multi-year agreement as Official Lifestyle Apparel Partner of the U.S. SailGP Team. And the collaboration has gone from strength to strength. Initial custom livery worn by the team at every event, has paved the way for the new capsule collection inspired by the brand’s archives. Comprising iterations of classic silhouettes with technical updates, polos and sailing jackets are reimagined with sweat-wicking and UV protection, while sailing jackets’ ripstop shells are complemented by mesh lining, providing excellent wind-blocking performance, perfect for life on the ocean wave. Yacht style favourites such as graphic T-shirts and colour-blocked sweaters with engineered details, are spectator sport-ready and naturally the offering is imagined in Tommy HIlfiger’s signature red, white and blue.
For Buckley, a partnership with Tommy Hilfiger represents where the sport should be headed. “It’s a collaboration that reflects a shared vision of performance, style, and making an impact”, he explains. Uncharted, a new three-part series about the league, is currently streaming on Paramount+, while packed grandstands and events that could rival the world’s biggest sporting events are becoming a reality. “In Germany, the stands were packed, the hospitality was packed, the race village was packed with fans, it was really awesome to see,” Buckley says. “Passion is at the heart of what we do. I’m really excited about interacting with people that love the sport or who’ve never attended a SailGP event. If you win a championship but you don’t inspire people along the way, then what’s the point?”
Text MARIE-LOUISE VON HASELBERG
Photography DENNY SACHTLEBEN
Additional photography: Courtesy of TOMMY HILFIGER.
