SailGP marks its fifth season, Vendee Globe updates, Sailing Grand Slam announcement
by David Schmidt 19 Nov 08:00 PST
November 19, 2024
SailGP is growing with additional teams in Season 5 starting this November © SailGP
While much of the global sailing news is (justifiably) centered on the Vendee Globe fleet, which departed Les Sables d’Olonne, France on November 10 for a round-the-world journey via the three great capes, SailGP is also making headlines. For the first time in the league’s history (founded in 2019), SailGP is experiencing player transfers, new technology, a full Season 5 schedule, and more teams than ever competing. The international foiling series is set to kick off its season this weekend (November 23-24) in the waters of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Eleven teams, representing American, Australian, Brazilian, British, Canadian, Danish, French, German, Kiwi, Spanish, and Swiss flags, are preparing for the season’s first event. (Note: A 12th team, likely from Italy, is expected to join Season 5, but specific details remain scarce at this point.)
The teams will feature some of the biggest names in sailing, such as Martine Grael, the Brazilian two-time Olympic gold medalist, who is making history as the league’s first female driver for the newly established Brazilian team, and Giles Scott, the British two-time Olympic gold medalist, who is the first SailGP athlete to undergo a transfer from the British team to the Canadian one, which is now under new ownership and management.
Dylan Fletcher, the British Olympic gold medalist, Moth World Champion, and co-helm of INEOS Team Britannia’s recent America’s Cup campaign, will also join Season 5, helming the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team boat. Remember that Fletcher was the helmsman of the UK-flagged boat in SailGP’s inaugural season.
“I’m thrilled to be back sailing the F50. A lot has changed since Season 1 for me, from winning Olympic gold in Tokyo to the Moth World Championships and co-helming with Ben Ainslie in the 37th America’s Cup,” Fletcher stated in an official SailGP message. “SailGP features 12 boats racing around a short course at incredible speeds in amazing venues; it’s truly a dream come true. We’ll be competing against some of the world’s finest sailors, but I’m joining a tremendously talented team and eagerly anticipate the challenges ahead.”
New technology is also coming to Season 5, with the league’s identical F50 catamarans now including T-shaped foils to replace the older L-shaped ones, as well as electric motors to assist with getting the boats onto their foils in lighter winds.
In total, the 11 (hopefully 12) teams will compete in 14 events, culminating in Season 5’s Grand Final scheduled for a year from now (November 29-30, 2025), again in Dubai. This season will feature three events in the Middle East, while North American fans can catch the racing action in Los Angeles (March 15-16, 2025), San Francisco (March 22-23, 2025), and New York (June 7-8, 2025).
As noted, Season 5 racing kicks off this weekend, so be sure to stay updated with the website leading up to the first races.
Meanwhile, the Vendee Globe Race has also seen intense competition, starting with 40 boats. As the race progresses, the fleet has narrowed to 39 after skipper Maxime Sorel (V and B – Monbana – Mayenne) had to abandon on November 15 due to a serious injury and issues with his mainsail track.
“My ankle has been severely damaged for four days,” Sorel communicated officially regarding the Vendee Globe. “It has continued to swell, and because of the maneuvers I executed on board, especially to address my mainsail hook problems, I’ve been in considerable pain. It’s difficult for me to move on my boat, and even resting is painful. I cannot continue sailing safely in this condition.”
There are also reports that Hungarian skipper Szabolcs Weöres, sailing the New Europe, suffered significant damage to his A7 kite (now lost) and mainsail, making a repair stop in Las Palmas to fix issues and inspect his remaining gear. If everything checks out, he plans to rejoin the race.
As of this writing, British skipper Sam Goodchild (Vulnerable) is leading the fleet by a narrow margin (approximately 10 nautical miles), ahead of Sebastian Simon (FRA) on Groupe Dubreuil and Jean Le Cam (FRA) on Tout Commence En Finistre – Armor-Lux. The leaders are currently off the Mauritania coast, navigating in light winds.
Sail-World wishes all 39 skippers still competing the best of luck in their daring around-the-world endeavor, and we wish Mr. Sorel a speedy recovery.
Finally, in Olympic sailing updates, news has emerged about the Sailing Grand Slam series, consisting of five major international Olympic class regattas in the lead-up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Reports identify these events as the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia, the Semaine Olympique Française, Dutch Water Week, Kiel Week, and the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta.
“The Sailing Grand Slam represents a significant advancement for Olympic sailing,” remarked Dirk Ramhorst, the head of Kiel Week, in an official statement. “For the first time, the world’s top regattas are combined and displayed on a unified platform. At Kiel Week, we are honored and excited to be part of this ambitious initiative. Together with World Sailing and the other organizers, we aim to actively shape the future of sailing and enhance the sport’s international profile.”
Although 2028 may seem far off from our current late 2024 perspective, you can bet that the world’s leading Olympic class sailors are already diligently working toward securing their spots for the next Olympic Games.
May the four winds guide you safely home.
David Schmidt
Sail-World.com North American Editor
