SailGP intends to expand its events to 18-20 each season. Brazil recruits three-time SailGP veteran.
by SailGP/Sail-World 22 Oct 16:32 PDT
23 October 2024
Spain SailGP team celebrates its victory – Race Day 2 – SailGP Season 4 Grand Final in San Francisco, USA – July 14, 2024 © Katelyn Mulcahy / SailGP
SailGP is set to increase the number of events per season to approximately 18-20, as part of the League’s continuing goal to match with top 20 sports properties, according to League managing director Andrew Thompson.
The upcoming 2025 Season is projected to be its most extensive yet, featuring events on five continents. However, boosting the total event count is vital for SailGP to ‘compete with major championships,’ Thompson noted.
He emphasized the importance of reducing the interval between events to ‘approximately one week apart’ to establish a rhythm and consistently create content.
This season will see this quick turnaround implemented for the first time, with only one week between events in Los Angeles on March 15-16 and in San Francisco on March 22-23.
“We are concentrating on improving our logistical efficiency,” Thompson stated. “We aim to minimize our time on-site and provide commercial value to partners in each destination, allowing for more events and greater commercial value for our partners.”
He also shared that the league had to ‘decline several excellent sailing venues’ for the upcoming season because ‘there were no available slots on the calendar.’
“We’re strategizing on how we can enhance our logistics to allow for more frequent events,” he hinted at ‘one or two exciting ideas coming soon.’
Another key focus is maintaining a familiar schedule of events and locations, solidifying SailGP events as significant highlights on host city calendars.
“Our goal is for fans in specific cities to anticipate our return at the same time each year,” he expressed. “I certainly envision a scenario where we hit North America and conduct five events in rapid succession, then move to Europe and do something similar.”
In other SailGP news, the new Brazilian team has secured Rockwool Denmark’s grinder Richard Mason, appointing him as strategist for the 2025 Season.
Mason is an experienced SailGP competitor, having participated with the British, Swiss, and Danish teams in Seasons 2, 3, and 4 respectively.
His new role on the Brazilian team marks a shift from his previous grinding positions as he transitions to strategist. This change follows his recent training sessions with the developing team during an offseason camp in Bermuda.
Prior to SailGP, Mason competed in several world championships, winning the Extreme Sailing Series in 2017 and serving as part of the British Challenger team for the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland in 2021.
He is the fourth member of Brazil’s crew to be announced, following the selections of driver Martine Grael and grinding duo Marco Grael and Mateus Isaac.
This comes after team CEO Alan Adler stated he had secured ‘incredible, seasoned athletes’ for Brazil’s inaugural Championship campaign.
