Mubadala Brazil out of action after major damage in SailGP practice race
by SailGP 16 Aug 02:56 AEST
SailGP - the most exciting racing on water - lands in another new location this weekend as Sassnitz in Germany transforms into the ultimate sporting arena. The Baltic Sea will come alive as New Zealand - the new leader following victory at last month's Portsmouth's debut - bid to build European dominance.
Just four points separate SailGP's top four national teams - the Black Foils, BONDS Flying Roos, Spain and Emirates GBR. Black Foils driver Peter Burling commented: "We're really excited about carrying that momentum through the rest of the European block. That competition for the top four is super tight. As the points continue to grow towards the Grand Final it'll be interesting to see who's in the top three."
The Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team will not compete after a stunning incident in practice. The front beam of the team's F50 collapsed in a high-impact nosedive - no crew were injured as an investigation into the incident continues.
Speaking onshore, strategist Paul Goodison said: "All of the crew of looked after themselves, and we get safe, but obviously we're all gutted that we're not going to be racing this weekend. We're happy everyone is OK but we're distraught. We feel like we've had a great week training and that we're in a really good spot so we're upset we're not racing."
More than 13,000 fans are expected to descend upon the German seaside town to watch the action unfold, as teams go head-to-head in the eighth stop of the Rolex SailGP Championship's 2025 Season. The event is equally crucial for those outside the top four, including Northstar Canada and France who will be battling to maximize every point - or else watch their hopes of a Grand Final appearance disappear.
Sitting fifth but now ten points off the podium group, Canadian driver Giles Scott said the team was fully focused on the task at hand. "After a disappointing event in Portsmouth we've got some work to do in this back end of the season that's for sure," said Scott.
Continuing, "With the points and depth of field there's still plenty of scope for some mixing up the overall positions. There's definitely work to be done but hopefully some exciting times ahead. Ten points is a gap but it's certainly bridgeable and that's what we're focusing on."
The task is much more simple for the homecoming Germany SailGP Team, presented by Deutsche Bank. "[A win] would be epic," said driver Erik Heil, who has relished the first-ever SailGP event in Germany. "Last season we missed out on finals by one point - twice. There's always a chance we can make it here. We really hope we can make the podium this time."
The Germany Sail Grand Prix | Sassnitz gets under way tomorrow with live racing beginning at 3:30p.m. CEST. The event will feature two days of full-fleet racing, culminating in a winner-takes-all, three-boat Final on Sunday. Tomorrow (Saturday) is sold out. Limited tickets remain for Sunday, available for purchase at sailgp.com/races/24-25/germany-sail-grand-prix-sassnitz/overview