SailGP: Changes for Japan and USA

When SailGP was established in 2018, the global sports league had a five year plan for all teams to be independently funded. The initial investment by billionaire Larry Ellison was to get the ball rolling, but the clock was started for teams to put up or be replaced.

Entering the third season in 2022, four of the ten teams are self-funded: Canada, Denmark, and Great Britain, and Switzerland. While the progress for the other six teams is not known, it appears the Japanese team is trailing the field.

Despite being runner-up in the first two season championships, Nathan Outteridge’s Japan SailGP Team has lost its ride as racing gets under May 14-15 in Bermuda.

When SailGP expanded from eight to ten teams for Season 3, the boat builders only had enough time to finish one F50 catamaran, which meant there was now nine boats for ten teams. Because the two new teams – Canada and Switzerland – were self-funded, they got boats.

The awkward solution was for Canada to get Japan’s boat, with Outteridge’s team to sit on the sidelines for the first three events of Season 3, with their boat anticipated to be ready for the fourth stage of the 11-event season. For the events they miss, Japan will receive Regatta Points based on the average of their Regatta Points in the first three regattas in which they compete.

Another big change is with the US Team which has moved Rome Kirby off the boat. For Season 1, Kirby was given team leadership, but after helming to a last overall finish, Jimmy Spithill took over the helm for Season 2 with Kirby moving to the flight control position. While that improved the team to third overall, Season 3 finds Kirby replaced by Hans Henken as fight controller.

The Season 3 squad for USA has Spithill (USA, driver), Paul Campbell-James (GBR, wing trimmer), Henken (USA, flight controller), Andrew Campbell (USA, grinder/tactician), Cooper Dressler (USA, grinder), Alex Sinclair (USA, grinder), Daniela Moroz (USA), CJ Perez (USA), and Anna Weis (USA).

UPDATE: There has been a correction from SailGP regarding Rome Kirby. He remains on the U.S. team as flight controller but is currently rehabbing a shoulder which he injured at the San Francisco event.

2022-23 SailGP Season 3 Schedule*
May 14-15, 2022 – Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess
June 18-19, 2022 – United States Sail Grand Prix | Chicago at Navy Pier
July 30-31, 2022 – Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Plymouth
August 18-19, 2022 – ROCKWOOL Denmark Sail Grand Prix | Copenhagen
September 9-10, 2022 – France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez
September 23-24, 2022 – Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía – Cádiz
November 11-12, 2022 – Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas
January 14-15, 2023 – Singapore Sail Grand Prix
March 17-18, 2023 – New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
May 6-7, 2023 – United States Sail Grand Prix | San Francisco (Season 3 Grand Final)
*One further event is expected to be announced to complete SailGP Season 3.

2022-23 Teams, Helm
Australia, Tom Slingsby
Canada, Phil Robertson
Denmark, Nicolai Sehested
France, Quentin Delapierre
Great Britain, Ben Ainslie
Japan, Nathan Outteridge
New Zealand, Peter Burling
Spain, Jordi Xammar
Switzerland, Sébastien Schneiter
United States, Jimmy Spithill

SailGP information – Bermuda details – Season 3 scoreboard – Facebook

Format for 2021-22 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 earn prize money and 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.

For competition documents, click here.

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 for event prize money as the season culminates with a $1 million winner-takes-all match race.

Source: SailGP