Veterans join Brazil SailGP Team

The start of the SailGP season brings anticipation, but none more than for the two new teams entering the league. While little is known about the Italian team, the spotlight will be brightest for the Brazil SailGP Team which features the first female helm for Season 5.

Led by double Olympic Gold Medalist Martine Grael, history has been unkind to new entrants that climb the learning curve in mastering the F50 and race format. But unlike the USA that struggled with inexperience last season, Grael will not be flying so nearly blind.

For starters, she will be joined by her 49erFX Olympic teammate Kahena Kunze who had been the strategist for Germany. Kunze, at 5′8″, will be the reserve athlete and step in where needed. The five other starters are:

• Andy Maloney (NZL), Flight Controller – former New Zealand Flight Controller
• Leigh Macmillan (GBR), Wing Trimmer – former France Wing Trimmer and Trimmer for Great Britain in America’s Cup
• Richard Mason (DEN/SWE), Strategist – former Denmark Grinder and previously with British and Swiss
• Marco Grael (BRA) and Mateus Isaac (BRA), Grinders

Season 5 begins for the 12 teams on November 23-24 in Dubai, UAE.

Twelve Teams for Season 5
• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• Denmark
• France
• Germany
• Great Britain
• Italy
• New Zealand
• Spain
• Switzerland
• United States

SailGP information – YouTube – Facebook

Season 5 Schedule
2024
November 23-24 – Dubai, UAE

2025
January 18-19 – Auckland, New Zealand
February 8-9 – Sydney, Australia
March 15-16 – Los Angeles, USA
March 22-26 – San Francisco, USA
May 3-4 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 7-8 – New York City, USA
July 19-20 – Great Britain *
August 16-17 – Sassnitz, Germany
September 6-7 – Taranto, Italy
September 20-21 – Geneva, Switzerland
October 4-5 – Andalucía – Cádiz, Spain
November 7-8 – Middle East *
November 29-30 – Grand Final – Abu Dhabi, UAE
* Venue to be announced

Format for Season 5:
• Teams compete in identical F50 catamarans.
• Each event runs across two days.
• Five 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 prize purse (amount not confirmed; Season 4 had $400,000.00 USD prize purse with winning team 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 a monetary award (amount not confirmed; Season 4 had $2 million USD prize).
• The top team on points ahead of the three-boat Championship Final will get a monetary award (amount not confirmed; Season 4 had a $350,000.00 prize).

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, SSN