Meet the Woman at the Helm of Breaking Barriers in SailGP

At over 100 kilometers per hour, 12 boats slice through the water with only one goal in mind: reaching the finish line first in yet another SailGP race. With a closer look though, you would notice there’s a woman at the front of the United States SailGP boat. It wouldn’t take long to figure out she’s the only woman at the front of any of the boats competing. 

Courtesy of Anna Weis

Anna Weis is the first ever full-time female grinder in SailGP, a sailing racing series where 12 national teams from all across the world compete at record-breaking speeds, and she is breaking down barriers every single day. From winning gold medals, competing at the Olympic games and now being a trailblazer in her sport, Weis is an inspiration to all for good reason.

Becoming the first woman to hold the most physical role in SailGP was a long and grueling journey, but one that has been beyond fulfilling. Weis’ sailing career began back in her hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her parents were looking to put her and her brother in a summer program and because they lived close to a yacht club, they went to a sailing camp. Weis never dreamed that she would become a professional sailor, but she fell in love with the sport and continued pursuing it over the years. She was also a member of Boston University’s rowing team during her time in college, but sailing is where her heart is. 

“I fell in love with [sailing]. It’s crazy to think that I’m now a professional sailor,” Weis said. “I don’t think my parents ever thought that putting me in summer camp would lead me here. It’s been a big journey and they’ve always been super supportive and growing up, taking us to regattas, supporting us financially. It’s really amazing to have that.”

After overcoming injuries and major surgeries on both her arms in early 2019, Weis made an amazing comeback to the sport by competing in the foiling Narca 17 where she and her teammate, Riley Gibbs, won gold at the Pan American games in 2019 and qualified to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Although the duo did not medal at the Olympics, it was still an experience that Weis will cherish forever. 

“Competing at the Olympic Games is something super special that I’ll never forget in my entire life. It’s pretty hard to put into words what it means to compete for the United States,” Weis recalled when looking back at her favorite moments in her career. “You’re not really competing for yourself at that point, you feel like you’re competing for something way more and it feels like you’ve worked your entire life to get to that point. It felt super special to be there amongst other athletes and [to be able to] represent your nation.”

After the games, she returned to college where she received a call from the U.S. SailGP CEO, Mike Buckley, who had recently teamed up with a few others to buy the team and he wanted Weis on the roster. It wasn’t entirely new for Weis who had previously competed with the team in Season 2 for a few events as a strategist, but this time, she would be fulfilling the role of grinder.

In SailGP, the grinder is the toughest and most physically demanding position which is why it’s historically been held by men. There are two grinders per team and they are always at the front of the boat, working together to turn the winch handles to ensure the wing trimmer can trim the wing sheet as effectively as possible.

Despite the challenge, Weis took it on and has thrived in the position. Her training involves countless hours in the gym strength training and on the grinding machine which simulates what she does on the boat. SailGP is unique in the sense that all teams share their data so every team can learn how to get better from each other so Weis also spends time analyzing data with her team. But above competing and training, she also knows how important it is that she’s now paving a path for other girls and women to follow in her footsteps in her sport or others.

“It’s sometimes hard to see the impact you’re making, but for me at least, when I was a little girl, I really didn’t have that many women in the sport to look up to,” Weis said. “To be in this position, I feel like it’s an honor and a privilege and I always try to have that in the back of my mind, knowing that I have an opportunity I would’ve once dreamed of. It just feels like a privilege to be in this position and I hope I’m leading by example and it does inspire young girls to pursue their dreams whether it’s in sailing or other sports.”

Courtesy of Anna Weis

While Weis is competing and breaking boundaries in sailing and for women in sports, she is also carving out a legacy for herself which impacts everyone who watches her, but specifically women and girls.

“The biggest impact I want to leave is that women can be strong and powerful and look a certain way and still be successful. Be beautiful and be feminine,” Weis said. “There’s no right or wrong answer in how you look and what you’re doing. I feel like we’re so often put in a box, especially in male dominated sports, and we’re just there to ‘check a box.’ I want to show that it’s okay to be different and you can have success in that.”

But like every other sport, there are still miles to go until there’s complete equality and equity between men and women in sailing which Weis acknowledges even if she’s a major part of the movement to help change that within the sport and in SailGP.

“At the end of the day, we as women want to keep pushing within the sport, especially within SailGP,” Weis stated. “We want to be in different roles and there are so many incredible women sailors and it’s just because of the lack of opportunity. It’s such a male dominated space and we’re at the forefront of the change, but there’s still a long way to go.”

This weekend, Weis will be competing with her teammates in the New York Sail Grand Prix which takes place right on the Hudson River. As it is the final American stop of the 2025 season, there’s no doubt the U.S. team will be hungry for a win. But for anyone who is new to SailGP or is just looking for another sport to watch, Weis says it’s perfect for anyone who loves the fast pace of racing.

“I would say [SailGP is] Formula 1 on the water. Super close, exhilarating, intense racing,” Weis said. “To hear the boats up close is incredible, you can hear the sound of the foils and it’s so loud. And you really, really get to experience how fast we’re actually going on the water. I always tell people we can experience up to 3Gs and Formula 1 drivers experience 4Gs. We are pushing the limits on the water just like Formula 1 is on the land.”

As Weis continues to break down barriers by being the first full-time female grinder in SailGP, the world is watching and admiring everything she’s doing for the sport of sailing and for women in sports as a whole, while she is taking every moment in and embracing it because she knows how special it is.

“I never thought that I would be here and I just want to show girls that it is possible to achieve their dreams whatever it may be.”