Anna Weis to join U.S. SailGP Team

At the penultimate stage of SailGP season two, the United States SailGP Team has recruited 23-year-old Tokyo 2020 athlete Anna Weis to trial with the team in Sydney for the Australia Sail Grand Prix on December 17-18. Weis will sail with the American team, potentially joining Daniela Moroz and CJ Perez on the 2022 roster.

The American team is currently just one point away from first place in the SailGP Season 2 overall leaderboard, and Sydney will provide a crucial test as the top three overall teams look to qualify for the $1 million Grand Final at the United States Sail Grand Prix in San Francisco March 26-27, 2022.

Competing as part of the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team, Weis and former U.S. SailGP Team wing trimmer Riley Gibbs raced in the two-person mixed-gender Nacra 17 class. Her top 10 performance in Tokyo caught the attention of U.S. SailGP Team CEO and Driver Jimmy Spithill.

“Our goal is for the United States to be a powerhouse in professional sailing and Anna’s expertise at the international level stands out,” said Spithill. “We’re looking forward to trialing her in Sydney and between her, Daniela and CJ, we believe we’re building a strong foundation of talent that will benefit us now and into the future.”

Weis, originally from Fort Lauderdale, FL, is a student at Boston University but deferred her education while pursuing her professional sailing dreams full time. She overcame injuries and operations on both arms in early 2019 and the Gibbs-Weis duo won the gold medal at the Pan American Games later that year, becoming the first U.S. team to qualify for Tokyo in the mixed multihull class.

As part of SailGP’s better sport strategy, reflective of its aim to be the world’s most exciting, purpose-led racing league, the championship launched the Women’s Pathway Program in Season 2 to give opportunities to female athletes – racing onboard the high-speed F50s throughout the season – to accelerate inclusion within the sport and inspire change.

SailGP information – Sydney details – Facebook

How to watch – Results – Noticeboard

SailGP Season Championship (after 6 events)
1. Australia, 45 pts
2. United States, 44 pts
3. Japan, 44 pts
4. Great Britain, 40 pts
5. New Zealand, 36 pts
6. Spain, 35 pts
7. Denmark, 33 pts
8. France, 31 pts

Format for SailGP events:
• Teams compete in identical F50 catamarans.
• Each event runs across two days.
• There are three races on each day, totaling six races at each event.
• The opening five fleet races involve every team.
• The final match race pits the three highest ranking teams against each other to be crowned event champion.
• The season ends with the Grand Final, which includes the Championship Final Race – a winner-takes-all match race for the $1m prize.

SailGP Season 2 Schedule*
April 24-25, 2021 – Bermuda Grand Prix
June 5-6, 2021 – Italy Grand Prix – Taranto
July 17-18, 2021 – Great Britain Grand Prix – Plymouth
August 20-21, 2021 – ROCKWOOL Denmark Grand Prix – Aarhus
September 11-12, 2021 – France Grand Prix – Saint-Tropez
October 9-10, 2021 – Spain Grand Prix – Andalusia
December 17-18, 2021 – Australia Grand Prix – Sydney
January 29-30, 2022 – New Zealand Grand Prix – Christchurch (CANCELLED)
March 26-27, 2022 – United States Grand Prix – San Francisco (Season 2 Grand Final)
*Subject to change

2021-22 Teams, Helm
Australia, Tom Slingsby
Denmark, Nicolai Sehested
France, Quentin Delapierre
Great Britain, Ben Ainslie (alternate – Paul Goodison)
Japan, Nathan Outteridge
New Zealand, Peter Burling (alternate – Arnaud Psarofaghis)
Spain, Jordi Xammar (alternate – Phil Robertson)
United States, Jimmy Spithill

Established in 2018, SailGP seeks to be an annual, global sports league featuring fan-centric inshore racing in some of the iconic harbors around the globe. Rival national teams compete in identical F50 catamarans with the season culminating with a $1 million winner-takes-all match race.

Source: SailGP