Anna Weis to join U.S. SailGP Team for Australia Sail Grand Prix
by US SailGP Team 15 Dec 2021 02:53 AEDT
December 18-19, 2021
Anna Weis and Riley Gibbs racing on the Nacra 17 in Tokyo © Sailing Energy / U.S. Sailing
The United States SailGP Team announced today that 23-year-old 2020 Tokyo athlete Anna Weis will trial with the team at this week's Australia Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG in Sydney, taking place December 17-18. Weis will sail with the American team, potentially joining Daniela Moroz and CJ Perez on the 2022 roster.
The American team is currently just one point away from first place in the SailGP Season 2 overall leaderboard, and Sydney will provide a crucial test as the top three overall teams look to qualify for the $1 million Grand Final at the United States Sail Grand Prix in San Francisco March 26-27, 2022.
Competing as part of the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team, Weis and former U.S. SailGP Team wing trimmer Riley Gibbs raced in the two-person mixed-gender Nacra 17 class. Weis's role as crew on the foiling catamaran requires tremendous athleticism, agility and strength, not to mention keen tactical abilities, in addition to operating the front of the boat.
Her top 10 performance in Tokyo caught the attention of U.S. SailGP Team CEO and Driver Jimmy Spithill.
Spithill said: "Our goal is for the United States to be a powerhouse in professional sailing and Anna's expertise at the international level stands out. We're looking forward to trialing her in Sydney and between her, Daniela and CJ, we believe we're building a strong foundation of talent that will benefit us now and into the future."
Weis, originally from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is a student at Boston University but deferred her education while pursuing her professional sailing dreams full time. She overcame injuries and operations on both arms in early 2019 and the Gibbs/Weis duo won the gold medal at the Pan American Games later that year, becoming the first U.S. team to qualify for Tokyo in the mixed multihull class.
Weis said: "I love foiling and learning about high performance boats. I'm really excited for this opportunity to learn from some of the best sailors in the world."
As part of SailGP's better sport strategy, reflective of its aim to be the world's most exciting, purpose-led racing league, the championship launched the Women's Pathway Program in Season 2 to give opportunities to female athletes - racing onboard the high-speed F50s throughout the season - to accelerate inclusion within the sport and inspire change.
Last week, SailGP unveiled the first eight (of 10) events of its Season 3 calendar that include iconic locations around the world. Two North American stops are announced so far, in Bermuda, May 14-15; and Chicago, June 18-19, 2022.
Racing at the Australia Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG in Sydney starts both days at 4:00pm local time (12:00am EST) on Friday, December 17 and Saturday, December 18 and will air live in the USA on CBS Sports Network, SailGP's YouTube channel as well as the SailGP APP.