SAN DIEGO (AP) — Martine Grael, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, is set to become the first woman to lead an F50 foiling catamaran in SailGP as a new Brazilian team makes its debut in the fifth season of the global league created by tech billionaire Larry Ellison.
Grael was announced on Monday during a news conference held in Rio de Janeiro, where a regatta will take place on May 3-4 in Guanabara Bay, with Sugarloaf Mountain in the background.
“I’m going to be representing every girl out there. There are several girls who could have this opportunity. So, I’m really honored to be the first one,” Grael said in a video interview with The Associated Press.
“Honestly, I view it as a significant challenge, not just for me as a woman, but as an athlete, working in a circuit that is already established and aiming to perform against teams with existing skills,” she added. “It will require every bit of effort.”
SailGP, founded in 2019 by Ellison and five-time America’s Cup champion Russell Coutts from New Zealand, features many of the top sailors globally, including America’s Cup winners and Olympic medalists. Season 5 will consist of 11 teams competing in 14 regattas.
Grael’s father, Torben, has two golds among his five Olympic medals, led the winning team in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race, and has participated in the America’s Cup.
Martine Grael and crew Kahena Kunze claimed the 49erFX gold medal in their home waters in 2016, finishing just two seconds ahead of New Zealand in the last race, leading to a wild celebration on Flamengo Beach. As their skiff drew near, several dozen people entered the water, lifted the skiff, and carried it onto the beach with the sailors atop it.
They won again in Tokyo and secured eighth place in Paris last month. Grael was part of Team AkzoNobel in the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race.
She expressed feeling goosebumps when thinking about the transition from the 49erFX to the wingsailed F50s and emphasized that her two gold medals don’t define the challenge ahead.
“What truly matters is your performance and mindset,” she stated. “It’s essential how you engage in the moment and how well your team responds.”
SailGP initiated a Women’s Pathway Program in 2021. Since then, a woman has participated on every boat in each race, totaling 37 women who have competed on F50s. Most teams have an active roster with three women alongside their male counterparts.
“I feel lucky to have been born at the right time,” expressed Grael, 33, who was raised in Niterói, opposite Rio across Guanabara Bay.
“She was the clear choice,” Coutts told the AP. “Brazil has a notable history in Olympic sailing. Given the available talent, she stands out. With two gold medals, she has proven her capacity to perform under high pressure.”
If the Brazilian team surrounds Grael with the right crew, “I see no reason why they can’t excel,” Coutts remarked. “This is incredibly exciting for the advancement of women’s sailing because if she succeeds in winning races at this level against the best globally, it will undoubtedly inspire young female sailors to aspire to her achievements.”
“It’s unique to see her compete against the best men in the sport,” Coutts added.
Tom Slingsby, an Olympic gold medalist and former America’s Cup champion, dominated the first three seasons of SailGP before Diego Botin of Spain shocked him and Peter Burling of New Zealand in the $2 million, winner-takes-all Season 4 championship race on July 13. Just three weeks later, Botin and his SailGP wing trimmer Florian Trittel won the Olympic gold medal in the 49er.
Burling holds one gold among his three Olympic medals and is the reigning two-time America’s Cup champion helmsman. British helmsman Giles Scott is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Slingsby, Burling, and Scott are currently participating in the America’s Cup trials in Barcelona.
“It won’t be easy, but I believe she has the talent to succeed,” Coutts said.
Grael was set to depart for Bermuda on Monday night for SailGP’s first preseason training camp aboard an F50 equipped with new T-foils designed to enhance the boats’ speed. She will have additional time on the boat at a camp before the season opener in Dubai on Nov. 23-24.
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Bernie Wilson has been reporting on sailing for The Associated Press since 1991.