SailGP: Racing on the Edge // Season 2, Episode 8: The Contenders
by SailGP 16 Mar 2022 11:30 UTC
26-27 March 2022
SailGP teams flying by Alcatraz during the 2019 event © Bob Martin for SailGP
SailGP invites you to enjoy Episode 8 of Racing on the Edge "The Contenders", as we speak to the key players ahead of the Season 2 Grand Final race for $1million.
The mind games have begun ahead of a showdown in San Francisco Bay between Tom Slingsby's Australian team, Jimmy Spithill's USA and Nathan Outteridge's Japan.
"They might try to get under our skin, knowing Jimmy Spithill, he's going to be looking at the mental warfare. He's already saying that the final is Australia's to lose," Slingsby says in the latest episiode, "I know Jimmy better than pretty much anyone in this fleet, so I know exactly what he's up to. I'm not going to let him bother me, and hopefully our team who know Jimmy very well won't let it bother them either."
Spithill agrees with this assessment, "It is the Australians' to lose! He's the favourite. I don't think anyone could not argue that. Listen, someone has to be the favourite. Clearly, it's the Aussies. Someone else is the underdog. Clearly, it's us. We've got the two teams from the Season One final. We are the underdog team. I mean, there's no doubt about it. Look at what we dealt with as well this season. More than anyone."
For his part Outteridge isn't going to miss the chance to heap pressure on the championship leaders, "Tom's a bit of a streaky sailor for me, he's a great guy and he thrives on confidence. And if he starts off an event where he can start in good shape, he's near impossible to beat," Outteridge says, "But if he's struggling... if they're not gelling as a team or something's not going well, then there's a weakness that would be pounced on."
And all the action from the Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix San Francisco and Season 2 Grand Final is on March 26 and 27. You can find all the information you need here.