SEPTEMBER 26 2024, SASSNITZ, GERMANY | The coastal town of Sassnitz on the island of Rügen will host the first-ever Germany SailGP event. The international championship, recognized as the world’s most exciting racing on water, will take place on August 16-17, 2025 in front of the stunning backdrop of the region’s chalk cliffs and picturesque harbour.
The event is set to be the most watched international sailing event to be held in the country with Sassnitz – located in the north east of Germany and overlooking the Baltic Sea – and the wider region providing optimal conditions for SailGP’s unique style of close-to-shore fleet racing.
SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said: “Germany has a proud history of hosting successful international sporting events and we are excited to bring SailGP’s unique style of high-speed, adrenaline-fueled racing with grandstands erected onshore to provide German fans fantastic close up views of the action for the very first time.
Continuing, “We’ve seen impressive audience growth in Germany, and we know the country’s passionate racing fans will get behind the Germany SailGP Team’s home debut.”
The Germany SailGP Team has just completed its inaugural season in SailGP, showing encouraging signs of progress across the 13-event championship. Double Olympic medallist Erik Heil leads the team as Driver alongside fellow German crew members including Anna Barth, Jonathan Knottnerus-Meyer and Felix van den Hövel.
Alongside a stellar cast of athletes, the German team boasts a star-studded ownership team, including Thomas Riedel, CEO of communications company Riedel Communications, and four-time F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel.
Looking ahead to the Germany SailGP Team’s first ever home event, Erik Heil said, “It will be a huge honor to lead the Germany team at its first ever home event. Since we launched the team, the ambition was to bring a SailGP event to Germany and we can’t wait to perform in front of our own fans alongside the best teams and athletes in the sport.”
Commenting on the adrenaline-fueled racing coming to Germany for the first time, Sebastian Vettel said: “A first ever SailGP event in Germany will be a milestone moment for the league and the Germany SailGP Team on the way to popularizing the sport here. A home event is always something special, racing in front of your own fans is a great feeling. It will give the team a great incentive and also increase the fan base of the sport in Germany.”
Racing full circle around the world, SailGP’s 2024/2025 season will be the league’s most expansive to date with events spanning five continents. Kicking off in Dubai on November 23-24, 2024, the series will make stops in world-class destinations, including Rio de Janeiro, New York, Sydney and Geneva.
Sassnitz overcame competition from other bidders and locations in Germany to host the nation’s inaugural SailGP event. The venue was chosen due to favorable racing conditions in close proximity to the fans watching from the shore.
The natural beauty of the Sassnitz region will be beamed to racing fans in more than 212 territories across the globe – in Season 4, SailGP’s dedicated TV audience averaged 15.4 million viewers per event.
The benefits of SailGP events to host regions and the local economy are well demonstrated, with an average revenue of $20.8M generated per event during Season 4.
Speaking of the excitement of the SailGP event coming to Rügen, Mayor of Sassnitz, Leon Kräusche, said: “Sassnitz is the ideal location for the Germany Sail Grand Prix. Rügen is Germany’s most beautiful island with the UNESCO World Natural Heritage ‘Ancient Beech Forests,’ its unique chalk coast and historic city harbor with the longest accessible pier in Europe, and its unique location on the Baltic Sea, offers the perfect setting for SailGP. This event in Sassnitz will not only be a celebration of sustainable sailing but also to boost the local economy as well as an opportunity to present the region to a global audience.”
Over the next 12 months, SailGP will work closely with the Sassnitz City Harbour and the Mecklenburg state as part of preparations for the event. More information about the Germany Sail Grand Prix will be available soon, including all ticket offerings. Sign up for updates and register your interest in tickets now at SailGP.com/Germany.
