SAN DIEGO — Two-time Olympic gold medalist Martine Grael is set to become the first woman to captain an F50 foiling catamaran in SailGP as a new Brazilian team makes its debut in the fifth season of tech billionaire Larry Ellison’s global league.
Grael was introduced in a news conference held in Rio de Janeiro on Monday, which will host a regatta on May 3-4 in Guanabara Bay, with Sugarloaf Mountain as a stunning backdrop.
“I’m going to represent every girl out there. There are several girls who could be in this position. So, I’m incredibly honored to be the first one,” Grael expressed in a video interview with The Associated Press.
“Honestly, I think it’s going to be a significant challenge, not only for me as a female but as an athlete, to enter an already established circuit and perform against teams that possess strong skills,” she added. "I believe every little effort will matter.”
Launched in 2019 by Ellison and five-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts from New Zealand, SailGP features many of the world’s top sailors, including America’s Cup champions and Olympic medalists. Season 5 will see 11 teams competing in 14 regattas.
Grael’s father, Torben, has five Olympic medals, including two golds, captained the victorious team in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race, and has competed in the America’s Cup.
Martine Grael and her crew, Kahena Kunze, clinched the 49erFX gold medal in their home waters in 2016, narrowly defeating New Zealand by two seconds in the regatta’s final race, sparking jubilant celebrations on Flamengo Beach. As their skiff neared the shore, dozens waded into the water to lift the skiff and carry it to the beach with the sailors standing atop it.
Brazil’s Kahena Kunze, left, and Martine Grael celebrated their win of the 49er FX women’s gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016. Credit: AP/Bernat Armangue
They also earned gold medals in Tokyo and came in eighth in Paris last month. Grael raced with Team AkzoNobel during the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race.
She expressed excitement, feeling goosebumps when contemplating the transition from the 49erFX to the wingsailed F50s, indicating that her gold medals do not define her journey.
“What truly matters is your actions and attitude,” she said. “What you bring to the moment and how your team responds is significant.”
In 2021, SailGP initiated a Women’s Pathway Program. Since its inception, a woman has been part of every team in every race, with a total of 37 women competing in F50s. Most teams now have an active roster of three women alongside their male counterparts.
“I feel like I was born at the right time,” said Grael, 33, who was raised in Niterói, across Guanabara Bay from Rio.
“She was the clear pick,” Coutts shared with the AP. “Brazil has a rich history in Olympic sailing. Given the available talent, she’s an exceptional candidate. She has two gold medals and has proven she can perform under pressure.”
If the Brazilian team assembles the right supporting crew for Grael, “I see no reason why they can’t excel," Coutts remarked. "This is thrilling for the development of women’s sailing. If she performs well and wins races against the world’s best, it will inspire all the young female sailors to aspire to similar achievements.”
“It’s remarkable that she’s up against the top males in the sport,” Coutts noted.
Tom Slingsby, an Olympic gold medalist and former America’s Cup champion, dominated SailGP’s first three seasons until Diego Botin of Spain stunned Slingsby and Peter Burling of New Zealand in the $2 million, winner-take-all Season 4 championship race on July 13. Just three weeks later, Botin and his SailGP wing trimmer, Florian Trittel, won an Olympic gold medal in the 49er.
Burling holds one gold among his three Olympic medals and is a two-time reigning America’s Cup champion helmsman. British helmsman Giles Scott is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Slingsby, Burling, and Scott are currently competing in the America’s Cup trials in Barcelona.
“It won’t be easy, but she has the talent to succeed," Coutts stated.
Grael was scheduled to fly to Bermuda on Monday night to take part in SailGP’s first preseason training camp aboard an F50 featuring new T-foils designed to enhance the boats’ speed. She will have additional time in the boat at a camp prior to the season opener in Dubai on Nov. 23-24.