SailGP: Transfer fee eases the pain for British sailor joining Canadian team
by Richard Gladwell 14 Nov 15:20 PST
A delighted Giles Scott – Head of Sailing – INEOS Britannia – Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, Race Day 4 – October 16, 2024 © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup
Emirates GBR CEO and former competitor Ben Ainslie informed SailGP Media that Scott’s offer from the Canadian team arrived during a ‘busy time’ as INEOS Britannia was gearing up for its historic 37th America’s Cup campaign.
However, Ainslie notes, ‘it’s rarely a perfect time’ in these scenarios. “It was undoubtedly a significant chance for him and one he perceived as a pivotal moment in his career,” Ainslie states. “I wanted to back him and his choice.”
The Canadian offer emerged shortly after Scott was omitted from the starting line-up of America’s Cup team INEOS Britannia, yet Ainslie commends him for handling that ‘challenging decision (…) exceptionally well’. The transfer proposal was no different. “We share a strong relationship built over many years of trust and respect, and we managed this situation in SailGP quite effectively between us,” he adds.
Scott’s viewpoint regarding his transition from the America’s Cup helm to the chase boat was discussed in an interview with the Telegraph UK the previous month.
Notably, in the same SailGP media article, Ainslie confirmed that the British team received a transfer fee to alleviate the impact of Scott’s exit.
When the SailGP League initially launched with six teams in 2019, the League provided each startup franchise with USD5 million in Season 1. Now, those same teams are valued at USD40-60 million plus operating costs, premium salaries, and transfer fees. Scott appears to be the first to have a transfer fee paid for him.
It’s hardly surprising that the inaugural transfer payment in the League was to a British SailGP team, considering Manchester United, partly owned by Ainslie’s America’s Cup supporter Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has spent a staggering £600 million on 21 new players over four years. In that context, Scott’s transfer fee, regardless of its amount, would be minimal.
Weeks before the start of the 2024 Louis Vuitton Cup, Scott was suddenly replaced in the British America’s Cup co-helm role by Tokyo 2020 Gold medalist Dylan Fletcher. The transition took time to stabilize, but the British team eventually won the majority of their races, became the Challenger, and secured two victories against the Defender in the 37th Match.
Fletcher has now been appointed as the helmsman of the British SailGP team.
The notable post-race show “Inside Tack” highlighted many insights about the performance of the British America’s Cup team and others. In those discussions, Scott, as the newly appointed Head of Sailing, clearly provided authoritative guidance within the team – both from his position in the chase boat and during onshore discussions. He demonstrated a keen ability to pinpoint crucial performance issues and address them with sharp wit and concise communication.
It will be captivating to see whether he can apply the same skills to the Canadian SailGP team, and how the British team performs with Scott competing against them at the start line.
It also remains uncertain whether or how Scott’s SailGP commitments will align with the Brits (or any other) America’s Cup team for the next cycle, which is just beginning to gear up towards the 2027 Cup. It is unclear under the yet-to-be-announced Protocol for the America’s Cup whether Scott will be restricted to the Brits due to a nationality clause.
Given that Scott’s role is Head of Sailing, according to the 2024 Protocol, he is free to join any team he chooses – without any transfer fees being involved.
The Pre-Season transfer activities will culminate on November 23 with the opening race of Season 5 in Dubai, featuring 11 of the 12 teams competing.
Among them is the new Brazilian team led by Martine Grael, accompanied by three America’s Cup veterans. Emirates GBR will have a new skipper/helmsman. The enigmatic Italian team has only announced that their twice America’s Cup winning helmsman will not be leading, likely taking a place in the chase boat. Australian SailGP and America’s Cup champion Kyle Langford will also be joining the Italians.
As noted, the Canadian team will appoint a new helmsman. The 12th team, the French – which previously raced under Orient Express support, will not compete in Dubai, opting instead to wait for their new F50’s delivery in Auckland in January. The Swiss team will be on the start line with two key members from the Alinghi Red Bull Racing team, Arnaud Psarofaghis and Bryan Mettraux, joined by Kiwi Grinder Stu Dodson, acquired from the Spanish SailGP team.
Ironically, in a League seemingly flooded with money from various avenues, it is divided into the “Haves” – teams with private ownership that can afford to pay the financial incentives necessary to draw sailors from top teams to join a lower-ranking team graciously.
Conversely, the “Have Nots” consist of teams with limited private backing, like the Black Foils, which lack the funds for hefty salaries, transfer fees, and similar expenses. They must instead focus on robust development programs and promote from within to fill the gaps left by recent departures.
How this all plays out across the Event and Season 5 leaderboard will be particularly interesting.
