Tom Slingsby calls for new SailGP format

When the SailGP league got underway in 2019, the focus of the first season was to be in the top two of the leaderboard, as that would qualify the team for the $1 million winner-takes-all match race.

That was the plan for the initial 5-event circuit, but after the pandemic, the second season had three boats in the big money final race and as an added incentive, additional prize money was awarded to the top three boats at each event.

For Season 3 in 2022-23, the total bonus prize money has grown to US$4.3 million which includes the $1 million race plus a $300,000 prize purse for each of the 11 events – $150k to the winner, $90k to second, and $60k to third. While not nearly enough to fund a team, it does keep it interesting.

But Tom Slingsby, whose Australian team won the big prize in the first and second season, wants to move away from the all-or-nothing finale for Season 4, contending that “teams are going to get burnt” by the format.

The winner-takes-all format means a team can lead the pointscore the entire season but walk away with nothing if they don’t win the grand final. While the Aussies do hold the Season 3 overall lead, their advantage on the field is shrinking.

“We would love for it to be aggregate points throughout the season,” said Slingsby to the Daily Telegraph. “We would love if it was done on season points after San Francisco (grand final). But the way it works is the top three go into that final million-dollar race shootout and anyone can win.

“Season one and two, we won the pointscore heading into the final race of the season and then we ended up winning the million-dollar race. So, it felt kind of justified. We’re just hoping to do the same thing again.

“For sure, teams are going to get burnt by this in the future. We knew the rules when we signed up. You can win the whole season long and lose the million-dollar race and walk away with nothing. There’s zero dollars for second place in this scenario.”

For Slingsby, who has failed to secure any major sponsorship deals, every dollar counts.

SailGP information – Australia details – Season 3 scoreboard – YouTube – How to watch

Season Three Standings (after nine of 11 events)
1. Australia (Tom Slingsby), 76 points
2. New Zealand (Peter Burling), 64 points
3. France (Quintin Delapierre), 63 points
4. Great Britain (Ben Ainslie), 61 points
5. Denmark (Nicolai Sehested), 57 points
6. United States (Jimmy Spithill), 52 points
7. Canada (Phil Robertson), 49 points
8. Spain (Jordi Xammar/Diego Botin), 27 points
9. Switzerland (Sebastien Schneiter), 25 points

PENALTIES
• Spain SailGP Team: Docked two points in Season Championship for four-point penalty at Plymouth
• Switzerland SailGP Team: Docked two points in Season Championship for four-point penalty at Saint-Tropez
• United Stated SailGP Team: Docked four points in Season Championship for eight-point penalty at Saint-Tropez
• New Zealand SailGP Team: Docked two points in Season Championship for four-point penalty at Dubai; Docked two points in Season Championship for four-point penalty at Singapore

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 19-20, 2022 – ROCKWOOL Denmark Sail Grand Prix | Copenhagen
September 10-11, 2022 – France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez
September 24-25, 2022 – Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía – Cádiz
November 12-13, 2022 – Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas
January 14-15, 2023 – Singapore Sail Grand Prix
February 18-19, 2023 – Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney
March 18-19, 2023 – New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
May 6-7, 2023 – United States Sail Grand Prix | San Francisco (Season 3 Grand Final)

Format for 2022-23 SailGP events:
• Teams compete in identical F50 catamarans.
• Each event runs across two days.
• There are three qualifying races each day for all nine teams.*
• The top three teams from qualifying advance to a final race to be crowned event champion and earn the largest share of the $300,000 prize money to be split among the top three teams.
• The season ends with the Grand Final, which includes the Championship Final Race – a winner-takes-all match race for the $1m prize.
* Qualifying schedule increased from five to six races at France SailGP.

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.