Athletes from teams across the league met ahead of the Emirates Great Britain Grand Prix in Portsmouth.
Female athletes across the SailGP fleet swapped the open water for the simulator deck this week at a full-day women’s performance session at SailGP Technologies in Southampton.
Ahead of this weekend’s Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in nearby Portsmouth, 18 female athletes, including some newly-signed reserve talent, met for a training and development day hosted by SailGP.
The athletes logged practice time in bespoke simulator sessions, led by elite coaches, and individual data analysis across a variety of F50 control roles.
The group also took part in workshops where they fed into a range of areas of focus for the league and women in the sport, and heard a strategic update on women’s performance at SailGP.
SailGP is one of the only professional sports leagues in the world where male and female athletes compete alongside one another on the same teams, in identical equipment.
Anna Weis, US SailGP Team grinder, said: “Sailing as a whole is always evolving and the growth of our sport comes with innovation, and that’s what’s exciting. As sailors, we’re always looking to learn the next best thing and continue to push the boundaries.”
Iona Neilson, SailGP Head of Impact, said: “Today was a great opportunity to bring our female athletes together to give them more training and learning opportunities. It also provided a great opportunity for them to come together and share their experiences. The atmosphere and camaraderie among the group was fantastic.
“It was really interesting to get their input into how we mould and shape the ways in which SailGP can support our female athletes, and it was another stride in us being a gender equitable league.”
The athletes will return to the water when the Rolex SailGP Championship enters its European swing in Portsmouth on Saturday.
It was also confirmed that group racing will be implemented for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, with the intention to use the format for the remainder of the Championship.
Following successful trials earlier this season in Auckland and Halifax, the race configuration will provide greater flexibility as the championship continues to grow, helping deliver fair and competitive racing across a variety of venues and conditions. The format can be deployed depending on factors including racecourse size, wind strength, wind stability and sea state.
Using group racing throughout the second half of the season also gives teams and race organizers greater consistency, allowing everyone to prepare for a common race weekend format.
For Portsmouth, the fleet has been divided into two seeded groups based on results from the most recent event, with racing following an ‘ABBA’ schedule.
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