Mike: ‘There's been nothing straightforward about what we've done’
Mike Buckley discusses all things U.S. SailGP on the Yacht Racing Podcast
Published 10/14/2025
CEO, Co-owner and Strategist Mike Buckley provided an insight into the evolution and aspirations of the U.S. SailGP Team, during a recent appearance on the Yacht Racing Podcast.
Mike sat down with presenter Justin Chisholm ahead of the DP World Spain Sail Grand Prix, to chat about the team’s backstory and the challenges that they’ve faced throughout their development.
The two-time world champion sailor also reflected on his personal journey up to this point, as well as the future of the team – and SailGP more broadly.
“I've always been really inspired by entrepreneurs, athletes and comeback stories, and the American dream,” Mike said, before continuing:
“There's been nothing straightforward about what we've done. You know, you're kind of making it up as you go – but that's pretty applicable to racing a sailboat, right? You go with what you see, and you try not to make the same mistake twice. And if you can really achieve that then you can do pretty well.
“And I think that's how we try to run our business. We're not trying to run it perfectly. We're trying to push the boundaries, but not make the same mistake twice.”
Mike also explained his approach to handling criticism, saying:
“When you get a text, or you see a post from some young Opti kid saying, ‘Hey, we met you at the race and it was the best day ever,’ that makes up for a thousand negative comments,” he said. “There’s no better feeling – one kid can squash every negative comment.”
For him, that sense of impact is what truly matters: “We can’t control our results every weekend,” he continued. “But we can control how hard we work, the effort we put in, how we treat the people we meet, and whether we inspire kids. I want to make sure we’re winning in that area of our business, even as we improve on the sporting side.”
He also reflected on how the team thinks about building connection and loyalty with fans. “We don’t expect people to just support us ‘just because,’” he said.
“To have a fan, there has to be an exchange of value – I have to do something for you to care about me. It can’t just be the shirt; there has to be a relationship, and we’re trying to build that.”
And while online criticism is hard to avoid, he keeps it in perspective. “On average, there are 840,000 people who watch us on CBS every month,” he noted. “And maybe 20 who write negative comments.”
Mike has long embraced his passions for both sailing and business – and he reinforced that message when discussing his dual role with the team.
“I love both sides,” he explained. “I think a lot of people kind of chat about the sailing and the business and [think] it must be hard – and, you know, certainly it is hard, but when you love what you do, it's actually not that hard, right?”
“I got off a plane from Singapore an hour before the training window [in Cádiz] opened yesterday, because we had sponsor meetings down there. We're having the time of our lives, but we're not satisfied with where we are, in our business or our sport.
“You know, where we are on the sporting side – I think there’s a misconception that we're content with where we are. We're not, at all. But it doesn't mean we can't have fun on the journey. Because if it's not fun, what's the point?”
As the team prepares for the season’s final stop in Abu Dhabi, its co-owner and CEO is also looking beyond – with plans for 2026 already taking shape.
“I want to see us move up the grid,” he said. “I don't see any reason why we can't compete in the midfield next year. Or above.
“We need to bring in more partners [too]. Partners help us a couple different ways – they help us, obviously financially, but they also amplify the message of SailGP.”
Mike is optimistic about the future growth of both the sport and the U.S SailGP Team, too, adding:
“I think it's an exciting time. One of the measuring tools that I use is – when people in a city that we’re racing in, that didn't come to our race, are talking about our race. That, to me, is a really important metric.
“And that happened in New York City. It’s happened at a lot of our races, but in New York City in particular, where I live, I know how hard it is to make it as a person, as a business, and as an entertainment business. I mean, there’s anything for anybody, any hour of any day, every day of the year.
“And this year, SailGP, people were talking about it that didn't come. That’s what gets me really excited, for the future of our league, and where our team can go.”
You can listen to the full interview with Mike here.
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