Next stage
With SailGP Season 2 all set to commence on 5 June, Southern Italy is the next stage in on-water glory and pursuits of redemption.
03 June 2021
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In only a few days, a whirlwind of adrenaline-fuelled racing, and the first-ever Italy Sail Grand Prix, are scheduled with the next stage of SailGP Season 2 beginning Saturday 5 June in the southern Italian city of Taranto.
Expected to be packed with excitement and drama, Season 2’s opener in Bermuda set a stage for new challenges, friendly rivalries and unforgettable crashes.
And with the second stage only days away, all eight teams have reached the coastal Italian city, ready to either maintain their positions or dig deep and find redemption in what can only be another wave of high-octane, hydrofoiling action.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, 2 June, all eight teams took to the shoreline racecourse sporting 24-metre wingsails, allowing the opportunity for all sides to remind themselves of the F50 catamarans.
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The British SailGP Team, currently leading SailGP Season 2, has swapped one Olympic gold medallist for another, with Paul Goodison making his debut as the driver for the British team. Goodison will be replacing Sir Ben Ainslie for the following two event due to “long-standing personal commitments” for the CEO, as reported by Sky Sports last month.
“This is my first time ever sailing on the F50, and I was very impressed by the team and the boat, and it was just great to get out sailing again,” said Goodison on his appointment.
“There is a little bit of apprehension for me going into my first event but, to be honest, I am just super excited and just can’t wait to get out there and line up with the other boats and start racing.”
Double European champion and Swiss-born Arnaud Psarofaghis also saw his first two days in the driving seat, taking the wheel of the New Zealand SailGP Team. Both Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have stepped aside into supporting roles for the following SailGP events in Plymouth, UK and Aarhus, Denmark, following the date shift for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to 23 July.
Additional crew changes for New Zealand include the arrival of James Wierzbowski as flight controller and Jason Saunders as wing trimmer. The three new team members took to the water for the first time with their sights firmly set on moving up the leaderboard from fifth position.
Southern Italy will also see the reemergence of Jimmy Spithill’s United States SailGP Team and Nathan Outteridge’s Japan SailGP Team who, following their catastrophic collision, saw both boats out of contention in Bermuda, seek to find redemption. After a race against time, both sides returned to the water this week for vital training ahead.
“It is very exciting to be out sailing on the water today, especially for me at my home event. I’m really looking forward to seeing a lot of fans. It’s going to be very good racing in Taranto,” said Japan SailGP Team flight controller Francesco Bruni.
Also featuring their SailGP debut, and establishing a new first for the country, will be Olympic Silver Medallist Nina Curtis, who will be joining the Australian SailGP team.
Running parallel to this weekend’s competition will be young men and women of SailGP’s Inspire Racing program which will see nine WASZPs, and 18 RS Fevas take it over the racecourse.
SailGP Season 2 will commence at 1:30pm CEST (9:30pm AEST) on 5–6 June.
For details on how to watch globally, visit sailGP.com/watch.
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