SailGP: Which team will get removed?

When the first season for the SailGP got underway in 2019, the league fully funded six teams for the five-event schedule. But the teams were put on notice that they had to pay their own way in five years, and while the pandemic stretched that target to five seasons, the bill is soon coming due.

Of the ten teams competing in Season 4, there remain many that aren’t hitting the target. With 11 teams planned for the fifth season in 2024-25, and new funded entries being added to the list, one of the league-owned teams – Canada, France, or Spain – will be dropped should they fail to secure funding by the start of the new season.

The league has a history of cleansing as it did not renew the Japan team prior to Season 3 to make room for new funded entries. Now with new teams and new ownerships coming on ahead of Season 5, the league’s one design F50s will be assigned to those that can pay their own way.

As Canada, France, and Spain allege to have commercial developments that could meet the deadline, SailGP CEO Russell Coutts reports that doesn’t change the fact that one of the current teams will have to leave the league. “Well then it leaves one other team that could be dropped – New Zealand,” shared Coutts.

The revelation ratchets up pressure for the Kiwis ahead of the San Francisco Grand Final on July 13-14 – with national pride, personal glory, US $2million in prize money and now, the team’s future, all on the line. As the season leaders and only team with a confirmed spot in the Grand Final race, fans are left asking, “Would the league really drop New Zealand?”

SailGP information – San Francisco details– YouTube – How to watch

Season 4 Standings (after 12 of 13 events; results and total points)
1. New Zealand (Peter Burling), 1-7-8-DNC/6-4-1-1-3-1-2-5-1; 93 points
2. Australia (Tom Slingsby), 2-3-2-2-3-2-7-1-10-3-7-4; 78
3. Spain (Diego Botin), 5-1-3-6-6-10-2-5-4-1-4-7; 76
4. France (Quintin Delapierre), 6-8-6-4-7-4-4-4-2-9-2-5; 71
5. Canada (Phil Robertson), 3-4-10-5-5-3-6-10-3-4-6-2; 67
6. Denmark (Nicolai Sehested), 4-2-4-7-2-6-9-2-9-5-3-8; 67
7. Great Britain (Ben Ainslie/Giles Scott), 7-6-1-1-8-5-8-7-7-8-1-3; 66
8. United States (Jimmy Spithill/Taylor Canfield), 9-5-5-3-1-8-3-9-8-10-10-10; 51
9. Germany (Erik Heil), 10-10-7-8-9-10-9-5-6-5-6-8-9; 35
10. Switzerland (Sebastien Schneiter/Nathan Outteridge), 8-9-9-9-7-10-8-6-7-9-6; 33

For scoring adjustments, click here.

Season 4 – 2023
June 16-17 – United States Sail Grand Prix | Chicago at Navy Pier
July 22-23 – United States Sail Grand Prix | Los Angeles
September 9-10 – France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez
September 23-24 – Italy Sail Grand Prix | Taranto
October 14-15 – Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía- Cádiz
December 9-10 – Dubai Sail Grand Prix | Dubai*

Season 4 – 2024
January 13-14 – Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix | Abu Dhabi
February 24-25 – Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney
March 23-24 – New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland
March 23-24 – New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
May 4-5 – Bermuda Sail Grand Prix
June 1-2 – Canada Sail Grand Prix | Halifax
June 22-23 – United States Sail Grand Prix | New York
July 13-14 – SailGP Season 4 Grand Final | San Francisco
* Added October 3, 2023

Format for Season 4:
• Teams compete in identical F50 catamarans.
• Each event runs across two days.
• Up to seven qualifying fleet races of approximately 15 minutes may be scheduled for each regatta.
• The top three teams from qualifying advance to a final race to be crowned event champion and earn the largest share of the $300,000.00 USD event prize money purse (increases to $400k for Abu Dhabi with the winning team now earning $200k at each event).
• The season ends with the Grand Final, which includes the Championship Final Race for the top three teams in the season standing with the winner claiming the $2 million USD prize.
• The top team on points ahead of the three-boat Championship Final will be awarded $350,000.00.

For competition documents, click here.

Established in 2018, SailGP seeks to be an annual, global sports league featuring fan-centric inshore racing among national teams in some of the iconic harbors around the globe.

Source: SailGP