{"id":80042,"date":"2026-09-03T12:01:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T12:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/80042\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T12:01:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T12:01:12","slug":"sailgp-19-years-on-from-the-cup-hit-sailgp-makes-its-debut-in-valencia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/80042\/","title":{"rendered":"SailGP: 19 years on from the \u2018Cup\u2019 hit \u2013 SailGP makes its debut in Valencia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Gallos have been eagerly awaiting the SailGP debut in Valencia for weeks now. What the recent Sassnitz summit meant for the Germany SailGP team<\/a>, the Valencia event is a home race for the Spanish team \u2013 comprising helmsman Diego Botin, wing trimmer Flo Trittel, strategist Nicole van der Velden and their crew \u2013 in front of what is expected to be a roaring crowd.<\/p>\n

After almost two decades: from America\u2019s Cup sensation to SailGP champion<\/p>\n

Organisers, teams and fans are gathering once again at the Marina de Valencia, a good 19 years after the 32nd America\u2019s Cup. In the maritime heart of this Mediterranean metropolis, there are still many buildings that served as headquarters for the America\u2019s Cup teams back then. Whether it\u2019s manhole covers embossed with the America\u2019s Cup logo, the striking clock tower (Edificio del Rioj) or the award-winning Veles e Vents building \u2013 co-designed by star architect David Chipperfield and now a landmark of the marina: there are still many reminders here of the 2007 Cup final, which featured twelve teams from nine nations.<\/p>\n

This weekend, a breath of fresh air is set to blow just off the coast of Valencia. The SailGP World League is making its debut here. From the Australian league leaders, the Bonds Flying Roos, to Spain\u2019s co-favourites Los Gallos and Germany\u2019s SailGP Team, right down to the Brazilian teams at the bottom of the league table: all 13 teams from 13 nations are already in Valencia and are hoping for good training conditions today. Click here for the current standings in the season\u2019s championship.<\/a><\/p>\n

At this time of year, it\u2019s still warm in Valencia. Temperatures are rising to just under 30 degrees. Team Germany\u2019s coach, Lennart Briesenick, said: \u201cWe\u2019re preparing for lighter conditions, even though things might look a bit different on Sunday.\u201d The expected light-wind conditions mean all teams will have to adapt.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

From \u2018Flashnitz\u2019 to slow-motion sailing in Valencia?<\/p>\n

Lennart Briesenick explained: \u201cWe\u2019re focusing on switching from the small wing and Ballermann to a configuration that we haven\u2019t actually sailed in race mode yet: 4 POB (Ed.: four people\/sailors on board), with Anna or Victoria at the back.\u201d Briesenick was thus referring to a new SailGP rule under which strategists are no longer allowed to grind.<\/p>\n

The reason behind the new rule is that, following the triple crash in New York, amongst other things, the league no longer wishes to do without the watchful eyes of strategists in future, in order to prevent collisions. However, when strategists are busy at the grinder, they can no longer keep a proper lookout. This is said to have been one of the problems in the crash at the start in New York.<\/p>\n

Under the new rule, in a four-crew configuration in lighter winds, the remaining three sailors on board are assigned more tasks. All 13 SailGP teams now also need to distribute these tasks as effectively as possible. For example, flight controller James Wierzbowski will sometimes have to move forward. The strategist may be able to help trim the jib. \u201cWe have been working intensively on this new configuration and will continue to do so,\u201d said Lennart Briesenick.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see which teams can adapt well to the change from Sassnitz: from high speed, strong winds, a small wing and full throttle to an event with four people on board and marginal conditions. It really is a different world.\u201d Lennart Briesenick<\/p>\n

Briesenick compared the task ahead, as he sees it, a little to sailing on monohull boats, saying: \u201cIt\u2019s actually almost a bit like sailing a large boat when you\u2019ve got both hulls in the water. You\u2019re still dealing with three tonnes, after all. Managing the boat along the line and round the marks, whilst still sailing it with finesse \u2013 ensuring you always maintain momentum and avoid stalling in light conditions \u2013 is a huge challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

SailGP in Valencia: very light winds on Saturday \u2013 will there be more wind on Sunday?<\/p>\n

Unlike the 32nd America\u2019s Cup in 2007, the SailGP races will \u2013 as is usually the case \u2013 be held close to shore in front of the grandstands. According to Briesenick, there is hardly any \u201creal prior experience\u201d of the race course. The main task, he said, is to focus on adapting to light winds. The German team had another simulator session scheduled for Thursday. \u201cWe\u2019ll use that as dry run training again. Then we\u2019ve got the practice races on Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Briesenick\u2019s point of view, it could well be that there will be more pressure for Sunday\u2019s races. \u201cAs things stand, the wind conditions for Sunday don\u2019t look too bad at all \u2013 well at the upper end of the sea breeze range. In that respect, it could be a very interesting weekend: lighter on Saturday, with a bit more wind on Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n

This assessment was echoed by SailGP meteorologist Chris Bedford, who said: \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be quite calm in Valencia compared to what we\u2019ve experienced at the last few events. It\u2019s an interesting venue because we can get a very light sea breeze here.\u201d However, Bedford is also aware that: \u201cWe\u2019re already quite late in the sea breeze season. The sea breeze is stronger here earlier in the summer, when the land warms up but the water is still colder due to the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s gold medallists with home advantage?<\/p>\n

According to Bedford, the forecast suggests that Saturday will be very light-winded in the run-up to the Valencia SailGP summit. On Sunday, however, a light to moderate sea breeze is expected. Although Bedford does not anticipate completely calm conditions, there could be periods during which the F50s find themselves right on the cusp between displacement sailing and foiling. This could mean that entirely different capabilities become decisive.<\/p>\n

“Given the conditions in Germany, this change might feel like \u2018a bit of a shock\u2019 to the crews.” Chris Bedford<\/p>\n

Bedford went on to explain: \u201cWe don\u2019t have large weather systems like the ones we had in Sassnitz. We don\u2019t have a strong, relatively cool sea breeze like in Portsmouth, and we don\u2019t have such changeable weather as in New York and Halifax. This will present a very different challenge for the crews to the one they\u2019ve been used to for some time.\u201d His tip: keep an eye on the Spanish. Bedford said: \u201cI believe they have the ability to find opportunities in unusual conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

A profile of Spain\u2019s 49er Olympic champion and SailGP sailor Diego Bot\u00edn ahead of the home race in Valencia. With comments from Florian Trittel<\/a> and Nicole van der Velden. Botin\u2019s father once inspired him as a Mini-Transat sailor. In 2024, the son achieved golden successes such as the SailGP championship and Olympic triumph alongside Flo Trittel:\"Tatjana<\/p>\n

Tatjana \u201ctati\u201d Pokorny is the author of nine books. As a reporter for Europe’s leading sailing magazine YACHT, she also works as a correspondent for the German Press Agency (DPA), the Hamburger Abendblatt and other national and international media. In summer 2024, Tatjana will be reporting from Marseille on her ninth consecutive Olympic Games. Other core topics have been the America’s Cup since 1992, the Ocean Race since 1993, the Vend\u00e9e Globe and other national and international regattas and their protagonists. Favorite discipline: Portraits of and interviews with sailing personalities. When she started out in sports journalism, she was still intensively involved with basketball and other sports, but sailing quickly became her main focus. The reason? The declared optimist says: \u201cThere is no other sport like it, no other sport with such interesting and intelligent personalities, no other sport so diverse, no other sport so full of energy, strength and ideas. Sailing is like a constantly refreshing declaration of love for life.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Los Gallos have been eagerly awaiting the SailGP debut in Valencia for weeks now. What the recent Sassnitz…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80043,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[95],"class_list":["post-80042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-valencia","tag-valencia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80042"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80042\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}