SAN DIEGO – Martine Grael, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, is set to become the first woman to captain an F50 foiling catamaran in SailGP as a new Brazilian team enters the fifth season of tech mogul Larry Ellison’s international league.
Grael was announced Monday at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, which will host a regatta on May 3-4 in Guanabara Bay near the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain.
“I aim to represent every girl out there. There are other girls who could be in my position, so I’m truly honored to be the first,” Grael shared in a video interview with The Associated Press.
“Honestly, it’s going to be a significant challenge for me, both as a woman and as an athlete, to enter an established circuit and compete against skilled teams,” she continued. “It’s going to require every effort.”
Launched in 2019 by Ellison and Russell Coutts, a five-time America’s Cup winner from New Zealand, SailGP features many of the world’s top sailors, including champions of the America’s Cup and Olympic medalists. The fifth season comprises 11 teams competing in 14 regattas.
Grael’s father, Torben, holds two golds among his five Olympic medals and led the victorious team in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race while also competing in the America’s Cup.
Alongside crew member Kahena Kunze, Grael clinched the 49erFX gold medal on home waters in 2016, narrowly defeating New Zealand by two seconds in the final race, sparking lively celebrations on Flamengo Beach, where supporters waded in to lift their skiff and carry it ashore.
They successfully defended their title in Tokyo and secured eighth place in Paris last month. Additionally, Grael was part of Team AkzoNobel during the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race.
Grael expressed excitement thinking about the transition from the 49erFX to the wingsailed F50s, stating that her two gold medals do not significantly influence her mindset.
“What truly counts is your actions and attitude,” she remarked. “It’s about what you bring in the moment and how your team responds.”
Since the initiation of a Women’s Pathway Program in 2021 by SailGP, a woman has participated on each boat in every race, with a total of 37 women racing on F50s. Most teams maintain an active roster of three women alongside their male teammates.
“I believe I was born at the right time,” said Grael, 33, who was raised in Niterói, across from Rio on Guanabara Bay.
“She was the clear choice,” Coutts stated to the AP. “Brazil has a rich history in Olympic sailing, and considering the available talent, she’s a standout candidate. With two gold medals, she has demonstrated her ability to perform under pressure.”
Coutts noted that if the Brazilian team forms the right crew around Grael, “there’s no reason they can’t succeed.” He added that this is a thrilling opportunity for women’s sailing, as Grael’s potential victories against elite competitors could inspire young female sailors to pursue similar goals.
“It’s also special that she’s competing with the best male sailors,” Coutts remarked.
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 championship race of Season 4 on July 13. Just three weeks later, Botin and SailGP wing trimmer Florian Trittel secured the Olympic gold medal in the 49er.
Burling, a two-time reigning America’s Cup champion helmsman, holds one gold among three Olympic medals, while British helmsman Giles Scott is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Currently, Slingsby, Burling, and Scott are competing in the America’s Cup trials in Barcelona.
“It won’t be easy, but I believe she has the talent to thrive,” Coutts stated.
Scheduled to fly to Bermuda on Monday night, Grael will join SailGP’s first preseason training camp where she will sail an F50 equipped with new T-foils aimed at enhancing speed. She’ll have additional time on the water before the season’s first race in Dubai on November 23-24.
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Bernie Wilson has covered sailing for The Associated Press since 1991.
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