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The nine SailGP teams will have their quickest turnaround of Season 3 as they move from France for Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cádiz on September 24-25. With it also being the mid-point of the 11-event season, the window of opportunity to reach the Grand Final is beginning to close.
While Australia and New Zealand have a point’s advantage in the season standings, the pressure on the remaining teams vying for the third slot for the Grand Final. Unless Canada can regain form, the fight appears to be on for Great Britain, Denmark, France and the USA.
After a slow start to the season, the USA team hopes to get on a roll after their victory in France, but momentum will be hard to maintain going forward as there is seven weeks until the next event after Spain, and nine weeks after that.
It was a year ago when SailGP launched its Women’s Pathway in which female athletes have been onboard all teams in 100 per cent of races around the globe, gaining awareness and experience on land and onboard the F50s. The program hopes to accelerate inclusion, inspire change, and provide opportunities at the elite level of sailing.
“We want to inspire the next generation and show anything is possible,” said Fiona Morgan, SailGP global director of purpose and impact. “We recognize we’ve still got a lot of work to do to make our sport more inclusive, but we’re fully committed to addressing the need to accelerate change.”
Since the Spain Sail Grand Prix in 2021, 25 female athletes have been onboard during racing, building a strong roster of athletes capable of competing at the highest level of sailing.
“The Women’s Pathway brought me back to competitive sailing,” shared Canada SailGP Team athlete Isabella Bertold. “In 2019 when I stopped Olympic sailing, I finished my university degree and never thought that I would be back racing at an elite level.
“There were a few women who had managed to jump into professional sailing, but it did not seem like a credible path forward. When SailGP brought in the Women’s Pathway, not only was there now a path into professional sailing, but the support on the skill development side to start playing catch up.” – Read on
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