Ferrari’s Latest Racing Project Trades the Race Track for the Open Seas

Some of the world’s most prestigious racing does not take place on the road

The pinnacle of all car-based motorsport, Formula One, is thought by many to be the most glamorous and cutthroat racing event in the entire world. Every year, billions of dollars are spent among ten unique teams for 20 of the most elite drivers to duke it out for glory on race tracks and street circuits all over the world.

However, beyond the trappings of tarmac is another prestigious racing sport steeped in strict rules and tradition, where technology, guts, and grit go into creating a legacy built out of glory: sailing. Yes, sailing, like boats sailing. While Formula One may have its roots in European Grand Prix races dating back to the 1920s and 30s, the most prestigious international sailing competition, the infamous America’s Cup, dates back 174 years to 1851, with just one racing team holding onto the title for 132 years in a row.

Ferrari is hitting the High Seas

In an announcement on June 25, Ferrari announced the Hypersail project, a new sailing initiative that blends Ferrari’s racing heritage and automotive technological capabilities in an effort to revolutionize yacht racing. In collaboration with legendary Italian sailor Giovanni Soldini, Ferrari is building what it says will be the world’s first 100-foot monohull ocean racing yacht with a foil-equipped keel. It’s a major leap into uncharted waters for the brand, especially as this effort relies on a design meant to harness the power of the wind instead of a fire-spitting high-performance engine.

Designed by famed French naval architect Guillaume Verdier, the boat is being built at a secret, undisclosed location in Italy and is slated to be revealed in 2026. The project brings Ferrari’s flair for design, engineering, and speed into the world of offshore sailing, where its racing experience could be tested in a new way. 

“It perfectly aligns with Ferrari’s tradition, drawing inspiration from our Hypercar, three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” Ferrari Chairman John Elkann said. “Designing a yacht for offshore racing is perhaps the ultimate expression of endurance.

Elkann: Ferrari isn’t trying out for the America’s Cup

Given Ferrari’s appetite for race wins and trophies, it would be hard not to assume that the world’s most successful Formula One team would be using this program as a way to announce that it is pursuing a run at the Louis Vuitton Cup; the challenger’s tournament that takes place prior to the America’s Cup. 

However, it might not happen yet. Although the next edition of the America’s Cup is headed to the southern Italian city of Naples in 2027, with the Emirates airline-backed New Zealand team gunning to defend its title, Ferrari says it is not planning to compete—at least not with this boat. 

Like Formula One, America’s Cup teams have to follow a strict ruleset, and the boat Ferrari made would be in violation of the AC75 ruleset currently agreed to as of the previous America’s Cup that took place last year. The current America’s Cup boats are restricted to just 75 feet long, and feature no keel underneath the boat. 

“[The] America’s Cup is regulated, and this boat is thought to go beyond rules,” Elkann said. “This project gives us the chance to experiment in new areas.”

Ferrari is dedicated to its watersports project

Ferrari isn’t saying what races this beast will compete in yet, but for now, the project aims to build the best boat possible. “Before setting sport targets, we want to finish developing the boat and bring it to sea,” said Soldini. “Then we’ll see what we can and can’t do.”

Soldini, who’s been racing across oceans for over 30 years, says the goal is to keep the crew size small, between eight and 12 people. Though they’ve set a launch window of 2026, he’s not making promises about when. 

“It’s obvious that we have quite a defined [time] goal, but the project is so complex that making it public today doesn’t seem very wise,” he said at a news conference at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters. “There are a thousand things to put together. We’ll definitely put the boat in the water in 2026, but I’m not making any commitments about what quarter.”

Around 20 people work full-time on the Hypersail project, with another 80–90 supporting it. Ferrari says some of the boat’s technology will carry over from the automotive side, especially since many of the personnel previously worked on the F80 supercar that was revealed in 2023.

Final thoughts

One of my favorite documentaries is called Untold: The Race of the Century. It’s available on Netflix and it documents the successful challenge led by the Australia II team when they beat the New York Yacht Club for the first time during the 1983 America’s Cup.

That being said, it would be very interesting to see Ferrari enter the world of competitive sailing. With their kind of financial backing and engineering expertise, they could be a team as dominant as the New York Yacht Club if they ever consider competing in the America’s Cup. The cup in itself takes place every three to four years, and it’s as much a grueling challenge as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Daytona, or the Nürburgring. We can only wait and see.