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Friday, April 16, 2021
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Australia SailGP Team Crash on the Great Sound
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Tom Slingsby and his Australia SailGP Team were left hanging on the Great Sound as they capsized while training onboard the United States SailGP Team #F50.
Slingsby and his fully national crew with young, yet experienced sailors are looking to get a good start to defend its title.
Returning for the Australia SailGP Team winning squad includes Kyle Langford, Jason Waterhouse, Sam Newton, and Kinley Fowler, while Nick Hutton, Lisa Darmanin, and Nina Curtis have joined the team.
United States SailGP Team is happy to hear that all crew are safe and accounted for and they were happy to hear that the damage is minimal.
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Thursday, April 15, 2021
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SailGP Granted Exemptions to Continue its Operations
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 SailGP and the Bermuda Tourism Authority have been working closely following the Bermuda Government’s tightening of COVID-19 protocols to ensure that the forthcoming Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess, and the essential operations and on-water safety trials can take place.
SailGP applied for exemptions to continue its operations at Cross Island and the on-water safety trials during the Government’s seven-day stay at home order, and today these exemptions have been granted for SailGP to continue to operate. This includes the exemptions for the world-class athletes to have sufficient time to familiarize themselves with all the new systems that have been recently implemented on their F50 boats. These essential on-water safety trials and training, which are vital to ensure the safety of all competitors in the event next weekend, will resume this afternoon on the Great Sound.
Working with the Government, SailGP has drastically pared down its operational requirements over the stay at home order period, which concludes at 5 am on Tuesday, April 20. Measures include a reduced number of people onsite to only those that are essential to finish the preparations of all eight boats and the on-water safety trials, a reduced training programme from eight race boats to four boats, plus the reduction of onsite hours as much as possible.
In addition, SailGP is further revising aspects of its event programming next weekend to ensure a safe and successful event. This includes changes to its hospitality programme to comply with the latest government protocols and the cancellation of the ticketed tour boat spectator experiences, refunded in full via Island Tour Centre.
To ensure the safety of both local residents and its world-class teams and support staff, SailGP has worked closely with the Ministry of Health, alongside other leading experts, medical professions and other major elite sports events, on creating and implementing a robust COVID-Safe Plan. This includes creating protocols for all staff to operate in strict designated bubble environments – which ensures absolutely no external contact – daily health reports and regular testing, among other measures.
SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said: “We are extremely sympathetic to the current situation in Bermuda and our thoughts are with everyone that has been affected by this terrible global pandemic. We are really pleased that we can return to our operations to ensure the safety of the event next weekend. We thank the government for their assistance and the people of Bermuda for their understanding. Bermuda’s ability to deliver world-class sporting events while facing unprecedented circumstances has helped to position them as a leading global sports destination with an administration that is able to diligently and efficiently manage these difficult circumstances. We look forward to showcasing the island of Bermuda on April 24-25 and putting on a great show for not only the local community but also for our worldwide audience.”
Bermuda Tourism Authority CEO Charles H. Jeffers II said: “Showing the world how Bermuda can navigate its way through a crisis is a valuable building block to a strong tourism recovery, particularly in the sporting world where the racing next week will be seen in 175 broadcast territories—including live in the United States on CBS. The Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess will bring a smaller economic return to the island than the original forecast back in November, but we still expect a healthy return from $5 million direct spending on island and media exposure around the world.”
The Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess takes place on April 24th – 25th, 2021.
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Sunday, April 11, 2021
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Cooper in Fifth at Naval Academy Regatta
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Four teams showed up including Chase Cooper and his St. Mary’s College of Maryland teammates at the Naval Academy for a day of fleet racing in the Annapolis Harbor, the soon-to-be home of the 2021 College Sailing Nationals.
The breeze started at six knots and came in proceeded to die and then later refilled in waves throughout the day.
In the end, the breeze cooperated enough to have four races.
Cooper and his crew Sophia Taczak ended the day in 5th place with 23 points, they finished the first race of the day in 2nd place, which was followed by a 6th place finish in the second race of the day.
The pair would finish 4th in the third race, before closing out the day with an 11th place finish in the fourth race.
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Friday, April 09, 2021
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U.S. SailGP Team Revealed for Season Two
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With the second season for SailGP to kick off in Bermuda on April 24th – 25th, the U.S. SailGP Team have revealed its complete SailGP Season 2 lineup with the announcement of Daniela Moroz (USA), CJ Perez (USA), and Paul Campbell-James (GBR) to its roster in addition to its acquisition of Philippe Presti (FRA) as head coach.
The additions bolster a previously announced lineup that includes Rome Kirby (USA), Andrew Campbell (USA), Cooper Dressler (USA), and Alex Sinclair (ANT) — all selected by helm Jimmy Spithill (AUS) who took over team leadership from Kirby.
The U.S. team joins seven other campaigns as they compete in identical F50 catamarans for the championship’s 8-event $1 million winner-take-all prize.
Moroz, a four-time Formula Kite World Champion and two-time U.S. Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman-of-the-Year along with Perez, a highly-skilled competitor from Hawaii’s flourishing WASZP sailing circuit, both bring an impressive amount of foiling experience to the American squad.
Both athletes join the roster as the top-selections from the team’s open application process for American female athletes, a search that began in February as part of the league’s commitment to helping create an inclusive future for the sport.
“We were overwhelmed by the quality of athletes who applied, and our entire sailing team took part in the selection process,” said Spithill. “Daniela and CJ both bring to our team an impressive amount of foiling ability which is paramount to racing at this level. We’re excited to welcome them to the roster and develop their talent further.”
Moroz will join the team this month to start a development process aimed at introducing her to the team’s F50 racing platform while, at the same time, Perez will begin a remote training program in Hawaii as she prepares for SailGP events later this season.
Adding to the U.S. SailGP Team’s new-look roster is veteran British wing trimmer Paul Campbell-James who joins the team with a combined four SailGP and America’s Cup campaigns to his name.
Campbell-James is expected to bring an additional performance advantage having been instrumental in the development of the new modular wings debuting in SailGP Season 2 which will enable racing in a broader range of wind conditions and could push the F50 to record-breaking speeds.
“Paul is one of the most talented wing trimmers in the sport and we are lucky to have him,” said Spithill. “He also represents an incredible learning opportunity for Daniela and CJ as we look towards their careers.
“We’ve designed our roster to increase the U.S. SailGP Team’s competitiveness, both now and in the future, and we can’t wait to start racing.”
Key to that competitiveness will be the learnings from the team’s new head coach Philippe Presti.
Presti, who coached the Australia SailGP Team to a Season 1 championship win, is expected to have an immediate impact on the U.S. team’s performance given his collaboration with Spithill across multiple successful campaigns in the past.
USA Season 2 Team and Positions
Jimmy Spithill (AUS) – CEO, helm
Rome Kirby (USA) – Flight controller
Andrew Campbell (USA) – Grinder
Cooper Dressler (USA) – Grinder
Alex Sinclair (ANT) – Grinder
Paul Campbell-James (GBR) – Wing trimmer
Daniela Moroz (USA) – Athlete
CJ Perez (USA) – Athlete
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Thursday, April 08, 2021
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Cooper Helps St. Mary’s College of Maryland Finish 2nd
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It is only a matter of time, before a local sailor makes the headlines, with the fast-approaching SailGP event about to takeover, Chase Cooper is now in week 8 of competition representing the St. Mary’s College of Maryland sailing team.
Cooper once again hit the water, this time to compete in the Seahawk Wave Showdown.
Sailing the team's A-Division boat, Cooper and his crew Sophia Taczak finished with 20 points in the Division, with Tulane University finishing first with 8 points.
Cooper and his crew would win the first race of the five-race regatta, they would then record finishes of 7th, 4th, 3rd, and 5th for their 20 points.
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