Please select your home edition
Edition
Palm Beach Motor Yachts

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

ASA Summit heads to Key West next week
2025 Sportfishing Summit powered by the American Sportfishing Association Leaders from across the sportfishing industry will head to Key West next week for the 2025 Sportfishing Summit powered by the American Sportfishing Association. Posted on 30 Sep
US Debut for Barton Marine Bulkhead Pipe Glands
Exhibited in the US for the first time in booth 3-1717 at IBEX 2025 Bulkhead watertight integrity is essential in modern boat building. Pipes moving through the vessel and bulkheads always present a challenge. Posted on 30 Sep
Road map to Red Snapper management
Unveiled by the South Atlantic States The directors of the state marine fisheries agencies from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have released the outline for state-based recreational data gathering and management of South Atlantic red snapper. Posted on 24 Sep
The latest in fleet monitoring and tracking
Join us on October 22nd for an in-depth exploration of the latest in tracking technology Fleet monitoring and tracking are essential for efficiency, safety, and compliance with real-time visibility into fleet movements critical. Posted on 24 Sep
Lund Boats launches all-new explorer
A rugged, fish-first workhorse for the next generation of anglers Lund Boats, a leading manufacturer of premium aluminum and fiberglass fishing boats, today announced the launch of the all-new 1700 and 1800 Explorer models, purpose-built for anglers who demand rugged performance, low maintenance, and exceptional value. Posted on 23 Sep
New seasonal closures for Striped Bass proposed
By the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has proposed a 12% reduction for the recreational sector, which is likely to take the form of "no targeting" closures, which prohibit anglers from fishing for striped bass altogether Posted on 23 Sep
Understanding Boat Plumbing and Water Systems
This Second Edition has been fully revised throughout, and covers all the major topics This Second Edition has been fully revised throughout, and offers a comprehensive coverage of all the major topics Posted on 18 Sep
Boat Buying Basics
Melanie earned her US Coast Guard 100 Ton Master Captain's License before her car license Melanie Sunshine Neale earned her US Coast Guard 100 Ton Master Captain's License before she got her driver's license. She grew up living aboard her family's 47-foot GulfStar sailboat, cruising up and down the East Coast and the Bahamas for 20 years. Posted on 13 Sep
Sailing roles available in Dubai
Dubai Offshore Sailing Club is recruiting! Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC), one of the Middle East's most established and internationally recognised Sailing Clubs, is inviting applications for the role of Racing and Events Manager, and RYA Cruising Instructor. Posted on 13 Sep
Bulwarks and Bulldust – Show 7 Season 2
Episode Seven - XCAT World Champion, Tom Barry-Cotter from Five Blade Episode Seven - XCAT World Champion, Tom Barry-Cotter from FiveBlade talks boat shows, greenwashing. Lots to learn, so strap in for a great time. Posted on 13 Sep
Maritimo S SeriesPalm Beach Motor Yachts