LONDON, July 17, 2023 – Race day one of SailGP Season 4 saw ten teams cross the start line, the largest fleet the global championship has seen to date with the introduction of the Germany SailGP Team announced only three weeks prior. The latest episode of Racing on the Edge – SailGP’s behind the scenes docuseries – provides a look at the latest team to join the global racing league and the unpredictable challenges that come with participating in a sport that is solely powered by nature.
Also featured in the first episode of the new season is Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team and the challenges faced when team CEO and driver Sir Ben Ainslie arrives late to the opening event of the season plus a glimpse into the uncertainty of what lies ahead for Phil Robertson’s Canada SailGP Team.
Germany SailGP Team CEO, Tim Krieglestein, former Senior Marketing Manager for Red Bull, said: “We decided six weeks ago to be here on the start line in Chicago so for us it’s all about making the impossible possible, until we hopefully become competitive. I often struggle to describe the first day of something. And it didn’t feel like the first day in Chicago, it really felt like a first major achievement in our journey.”
The Germany SailGP Team were not the only athletes to have a whirlwind start to Season 4, in the episode Ainslie arrives on site only three hours prior to the official start of the opening race of the season. The rest of the team banded together and got ‘race ready’, preparing the F50 as well as strategist Hannah Mills taking part in the official press conference the day prior in Ainslie’s absence.
Robertson, driver of the Canada SailGP Team, addresses the uncertainty of the future of the team by saying, ‘when our backs are against the wall, we go out swinging. Having fun and enjoying the opportunity to sail these sweet boats is what we have to focus on right now.’
Following the opening event, Germany left a lasting impression on many of the legendary athletes that make up the SailGP fleet.
Sir Ben Ainslie said: “I think Germany’s performance for the first ever event in SailGP was the most impressive we’ve ever seen out of any rookie team. Heil and team were in the mix the entire race and displayed impressive skills to show they are here to compete this season.”
The episode is now live on The Dock, SailGP’s free fan loyalty program powered by Oracle Fusion Applications and built on NEAR protocol – the league’s blockchain partner. The Dock allows SailGP fans to access and engage with unique and exclusive SailGP content and in doing so, earn points that can be redeemed for exclusive rewards.
For public release, part 1 of the episode is here and part 2 of the episode is here.
The second event of SailGP Season 4 takes place on July 22-23 with the Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix at the Port of Los Angeles.
