Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo M600

SailGP: Develop or die - Coutts gives some advice to ageing teams

by Sail-World.com/nz 15 May 00:28 UTC 15 May 2025
Germany SailGP TeamHeil ahead of Switzerland SailGP Team and New Zealand SailGP Team on Race Day 1 of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix Sydney, Australia.February 8, 2025 © Jon Buckle/SailGP

SailGP CEO Russell Coutts updates on the wing sail repairs, as new stronger shear webs are fitted to the F50 fleet to alleviate the spate of dismastings. Full reporton wingsail progress click here

He also covers the need for teams to run development programs to bring forward younger talent, rather than keep relying on familiar faces to carry the teams year after year. In particular he notes the performances of the Spanish and French teams during Season 5, and in the back end of Season 4. It also seems that Auckland is the benchmanrk against which other SailGP events are being measured. However it is expected that ticket sales at Event 7 in Portsmouth on July 19-20 will slightly exceed Auckland.

Russell Coutts says that "the audience is growing enormously. And these are certainly the highest audience figures I've seen for a live sailing product in all my years of being involved in both competition and running events."

The fleet is expected to assemble in New York on June 7 & 8 for the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix - the sixth event of Season 5.

Speaking with commentator, Stevie Morrison, at the SailGP Technologies facility in Southampton, UK, Coutts sounds a warning to the 12 teams to refresh their talent, upskill younger sailors, and bring them into the SailGP teams.

In Season 4, the Spanish team led by 2024 Olympic Gold medalist Diego Botin won the US$2million Grand Final in San Francisco, leaving the highly fancied Australian and New Zealand teams in their wake. However as Coutts note, the Spanish are not the only ones on the rise.

"The good thing is that you're starting to see teams like the French, coming through. I think clearly the Spanish are now showing they're a quality team. They won the League last year. You expect that. And they're just reinforcing that this year, I think. And to me they look like they're going to get stronger and stronger this year.

"They've got youth on their side. They're still one of the youngest teams, if not maybe the youngest in the league, and stacked full of talent.

"How good are they going to be in two seasons time? That's the challenge that some of the some of the teams with the the older athletes have got.

"Some of those older athletes, I know from personal experience, probably going to be hard for them to see the improvement that the young athletes on the Spanish team are going to see over the next few years.

"So I think that's going to be a challenge for some of these teams. And if I were them, I'd be looking hard to bring on some new talent and start to bring that on stream now, get those new sailors trained so that you're in a position to compete with the Spanish.

"You can easily see them dominating, like the Australians have done for the last seasons. [The risk is] if the other team sit back and just wait for their older sailors to kind of serve out their terms.

"There's plenty of young talent out there now, and a lot of these countries have got their talent in bucket loads, and it's just a matter of now bringing them in and upskilling them on an F50, of course."

Related Articles

Fishing: Patterning brown bass
Post-spawn through summer smallies Whitewater Fishing B.A.S.S. tournament pro, Alex Redwine, talks fishing the transition period Posted on 26 Jun
2025 Bahamas Fly-fishing Tournament Series
Anglers to compete across some of The Bahamas' top bonefishing spots The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation announced the launch of Bonefishing Tournament Series that will showcase diverse pristine flats across four islands - Grand Bahama, Andros, Eleuthera and the championship round will be held in Exuma Posted on 20 Jun
Mote leads seagrass restoration initiative
Florida legislature establishes the Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative Seagrasses play a crucial role in the health and resilience of Florida's coastal ecosystems. They provide nursery habitats for keystone species and stabilize shorelines and sediments. Posted on 20 Jun
Maritimo M50 Flybridge & S60 Sedan Video
We speak to Maritimo's Neil McCabe & Phil Candler We talked to Neil McCabe, Maritimo's Design Office Manager, and Phil Candler, Maritimo's General Manager Operations, to find out more about the M50 Flybridge and S60 Sedan during the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. Posted on 17 Jun
“I'm living my dad's dream”
Carl made sure to provide young Kyle the chance to be a seasoned pond hopper Carl Cortiana is about to turn 70, but he still remembers the days four decades ago when he'd cast a practice plug across the living room floor and his toddler son, Kyle, now a highly accomplished Vexus pro on the MLF Toyota Series. Posted on 14 Jun
Stories From The Salt - Ep.6
Insights from PENN's top anglers Whether you're a passionate saltwater angler who eagerly dedicates every spare moment to being out on the water, or you simply enjoy watching the techniques and experiences of others, we invite you to anchor up and learn some valuable insights Posted on 14 Jun
Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode Six
Episode Six is now live - Are boat shows still relevant? Episode Six - asks the question, 'Are boat shows still Relevant?' We also offer some thoughts on changes and updates. The final episode of Series One is now live Posted on 13 Jun
Scania, Viking showcase renewable diesel
Mack Attack shows outstanding efficiency without compromise in performance of Scania V8 Engines Scania, one of the world's leading manufacturers of engines, announced today the successful demonstration of the performance and viability of renewable marine diesel fuel in a Viking 48 Convertible powered by twin Scania 1,150 HP DI16-liter V8 engines. Posted on 10 Jun
Sportfishing industry applauds decision by NOAA
Elimination of proposed South Atlantic bottomfishing closure The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries withdrew the proposed bottomfishing closure from Amendment 59 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic. Posted on 10 Jun
Marine Auctions: June online auctions
Bidding to open on Friday 20th June The Bidding for the June Online Auction will commence on Thursday 20th June and will end on Thursday 26th June at 2pm AEST. Posted on 7 Jun
Maritimo M50Palm Beach Motor Yachts