A ride on a fast catamaran led Lindsey Vonn to join U.S. SailGP Team's board of directors

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Eight years after catching a ride on a fast, foiling catamaran off Manhattan, retired skiing champion Lindsey Vonn has joined the board of directors of the United States SailGP Team.

Vonn is the latest star to come aboard the rebranded American team in tech billionaire Larry Ellison’s global league.

“As a Red Bull partner for nearly two decades, I’ve had the pleasure of sailing with Red Bull and that experience engaged my interest in sailing and encouraged my decision to get involved,” Vonn said in a statement released Monday.

The United States SailGP Team was purchased in November by a group of investors from the sports, technology and entertainment worlds. They include former Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner, who was taken with the 17th overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday in the NFL draft; actress/producer Issa Rae; founding Uber engineer Ryan McKillen; and professional sailor Mike Buckley.