Interview: SailGP strategist Anna Barth on her role, the risks and Sassnitz
David Ingelfinger
· 27.08.2026
Timm Kruse: Anna, how did it feel to be in an F50 catamaran for the first time?
Anna Barth: I think back to the moment when I took part for the first time in Cádiz in 2023. I was caught quite off guard and thrown in at the deep end, so to speak. It went something like this: “Anna, here’s the steering wheel – off you go.” At some point, Erik said: “Your wheel.” Suddenly, I had the wheel in my hands. Navigating an F50 is a mixture of sailing and driving. We sail according to the gusts and what we see on the water. The jib is trimmed just like on any other boat. However, because of the high speeds, it has a slightly different profile. The acceleration is impressive too – and we’ve got no brakes. When we plunge the bow into the water and do what’s known as a ‘nose dive’, it’s like slamming on the brakes.
You nearly capsized in Portsmouth. Do you feel afraid at a moment like that, or does the fear only set in afterwards?
Anna Barth: That was certainly exciting. The weekend would probably have turned out differently if we’d actually capsized. I think we broke the record for the steepest angle of heel that didn’t result in a capsize. I was sitting right at the top, whilst some team members were still down below on the leeward side. I ducked down into the cockpit and thought: ‘Right, this is going to be our first capsize.’
At that moment, though, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d expected. We’re familiar with the procedure and are regularly briefed on it by the safety team. Basically, not much can go wrong in such situations. The boat is righted again and can usually carry on sailing. That’s why the situation wasn’t as bad or as dramatic as it looked in the photos. I have far more respect for collisions between two boats.
Can you straighten out an F50 yourselves?
Anna Barth: For this, we need motorboats. There are safety lines, and one motorboat pulls the F50 into the wind whilst another right-sides it. Ideally, this procedure takes about five minutes. If nothing is damaged, we can carry on afterwards. For us, it was a slow process: we tipped onto our side and then slowly righted ourselves. If a boat capsizes during a proper nose dive, that’s probably a different matter altogether.
How do you get out of the cockpit if the boat capsizes?
Anna Barth: You can climb down the trampoline and hold on tight there. However, your first instinct is always to duck into the cockpit and stay seated there safely. After all, you’re quite a long way up.
How dangerous is it to sail at speeds of over 100 kilometres per hour?
Anna Barth: The format and the league are still evolving. There have been a spate of accidents this season. In Auckland, for example, there was a violent collision between New Zealand and France. The league has responded to this and is now permanently using split fleets. The fleet is therefore split into two groups. This makes racing much safer, as the boats are no longer sailing so close together. It also makes it easier to keep track of where the other boats are. That makes my job on board easier too.
As the strategist, I sit right at the back and keep an eye on the other boats and what’s happening on the race course. Even so, there’s obviously still a certain amount of risk involved. We try to push as hard as we can. The higher we fly, the faster we go – but the riskier it gets, because we could lose control. It’s always a bit of a game with fire.
What might SailGP look like in five years’ time?
Anna Barth: If you look at Formula 1, you can see just how much it has evolved over the years and decades. There were times when there were significantly more accidents, serious injuries and even fatalities. Today, Formula 1 is probably much safer. I’d say that SailGP is currently undergoing a similar development.
The league wants to make the sport as action-packed as possible. It thrives on speed, excitement and putting on a good show. On the other hand, however, the safety of the athletes is always the top priority. Of course, we really enjoy competing against each other in a large field. However, the split-fleet format shows that the league takes the athletes’ safety very seriously.
What do you do as a strategist, and how do you communicate on board?
Anna Barth: I’m sitting right at the back of the cockpit with Erik and am, so to speak, the boat’s eyes. I can move about freely and, for the most part, am not restricted to sitting on one particular side. The rest of the team are usually on the windward side. I, on the other hand, can move freely to the leeward side and keep an eye on the areas that are hidden from Erik behind the wing sail and the jib. So, in a sense, I cover his blind spot.
My main task is to communicate and present my observations in such a way that Erik can take them on board and make a decision based on them. I have to weigh up which information is truly relevant and what direction the decision might take. That’s why I usually try to put forward a specific proposal right from the start. In the end, however, it is still Erik who decides whether to accept and implement it.
You have to process a great many different things at once. Is it a bit like being a simultaneous interpreter?
Anna Barth: A great many impressions from different areas all come together. I listen to the communication on board and the information from the coaches. At the same time, I have to link that to what I see on the water and how the other boats are moving in relation to us. Sometimes, very slight differences in speed determine whether or not we can overtake another boat.
The wind also plays a part: when another team rides into a gust, it picks up speed again. All these sensory impressions have to be processed at high speeds. The biggest challenge is to distil them into clear communication as quickly as possible and pass them on.
There are still some teams that are better than you. What are they doing better?
Anna Barth: It’s very difficult to catch up with the other teams. We’ve spent considerably less time on the boat than most of the other crews. Many sailors in SailGP have already competed in the America’s Cup on boats like these and have those extra hours under their belts.
Our biggest challenge is that we have so little time to sail the F50. We compete in about one race a month. In between, there’s a three-week break, during which we can watch the footage and debrief on everything. Then we have another weekend where we try to put what we’ve learnt into practice. However, this means we can’t really gel as a team in the long term – not even when it comes to boat handling. From autumn onwards, though, we’ll have a training boat in Pensacola. Then we’ll be able to fly out there on a weekly basis and take part in training camps.
How important is it for you to get on well with one another as a team?
Anna Barth: That’s a crucial factor. Other teams may have the advantage that their members have known each other for longer. In the Spanish team, for example, Diego and Flo have been sailing together in the 49er. Pete and Blair also have a long history together. The better you know each other, the better you can gauge what the other person is thinking, and the quicker you can react to it. We’ve also been spending a lot of time together now, and it’s great fun.
Whilst preparing for Sassnitz, we had a really good week together in Kiel. We watched footage from Portsmouth and prepared for Sassnitz. We also went sailing on WASZP boats. These are one-design foilers that resemble Moths. It was great fun, and it’s always great fun with the crew.
Sometimes one gets the impression that you lack a certain degree of recklessness. Do you perhaps not always push yourselves right to the limit when it comes to taking risks?
Anna Barth: That’s an interesting thought. There are all sorts of different characters amongst the helmsmen. Tom Slingsby, for example, is someone who takes a very aggressive approach, knows exactly what he wants and isn’t afraid to elbow his way through. I wouldn’t describe Erik that way. Nevertheless, he is a very ambitious sailor. After all, he didn’t win his two Olympic bronze medals for no reason.
We know what we want. Perhaps our caution is sometimes down to the fact that we’re not yet entirely confident when it comes to handling the boat, and so we don’t push the F50 as hard as other teams do. It may well be that we’re still a bit too gentle at times. That, too, is part of the learning process.
As well as SailGP, you’d like to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Will you have to choose between the two at some point?
Anna Barth: I haven’t yet decided what to do next. I have these two major projects, which can be viewed in different ways. On the one hand, I’m already in SailGP and still have enormous potential for development there. On the other hand, personal success at the Olympics could be an important foundation on which I can build later on. When I look at Georgia Lewin-LaFrance, who was also part of the SailGP team and is now focusing on Olympic sailing in the 49erFX class, that’s a good path to take too. She’s winning medals there and will probably be able to return to SailGP later on. Then all doors will be open to her.
Los Angeles is definitely a destination. But I’m thinking even further ahead. My sailing partner, Emma Kohlhoff, has only just turned 18. We’d therefore like to compete in Brisbane in 2032 and win a medal there. We’ll see how things develop over the next few years. Sooner or later, I’ll have to set my priorities so that I can live up to my own standards in both projects.
Are you aware of the progress you’ve made over the past few years?
Anna Barth: Sometimes there are moments when I think: “Wow, it’s really incredible what’s happening here right now.” But I have to say that I’ve been very lucky. It’s always about being in the right place at the right time. I’m incredibly grateful for the journey I’ve been able to take so far, and I’d do it all over again, time and time again. I’m excited to see what the next few years have in store.
How can you manage to reach the final at your home race in Sassnitz?
Anna Barth: The forecast for the weekend looks much the same as last year: a relatively strong westerly wind coming in from the mainland. This means the wind will be very shifty, and we’re likely to face strong gusts again. There’s probably going to be a lot going on, and the outcome will remain uncertain for a long time during the races. That’s why we’ve resolved to fight right to the end. We always say ‘Eyes out of the boat’ – you have to keep your eyes out and watch the wind. That’s one of my main tasks.
We’ve also taken a closer look at our starts, as they’ve been a weak point in previous events. A good start offers the best chance of a successful race. If you’re already in the lead by the first mark after the start, it’s much easier to defend that position. We’re therefore hoping to pull off some good starts this weekend. That could ultimately catapult us into the final.
Isn’t that basically the same for every regatta: get off to a good start, be first round the first mark and then defend your position?
Anna Barth: In principle, it’s the same. In SailGP, however, we have a half-wind start, which has a completely different dynamic. I find it much more complicated because the field is constantly changing. The psychology within the fleet also plays a part: what did we do at the last event? What is the other group doing? And how will our group respond at the next start?
You can overthink it and end up getting too caught up in the theory. We try to strike a good balance. For us, the start accounts for more than 50 per cent of the race. In Olympic sailing, too, there are conditions under which it is of great importance. In SailGP, however, its significance is even greater.
Does the home crowd really provide a boost, or can it also create additional pressure?
Anna Barth: It’s simply a fantastic boost. We realised that as soon as we arrived back in Sassnitz. We were welcomed with open arms, and there are already plenty of supporters here. There’ll be significantly more at the weekend. The stands are almost sold out, and there’s already an incredibly positive atmosphere here.
We’re still drawing on last year’s experiences and that energy. It took us by surprise back then, and it exceeded all our expectations. We’re really looking forward to experiencing that again. The support gives us a great deal of strength.
Are you more nervous before a SailGP race in Sassnitz than before a normal 49erFX race?
Anna Barth: I don’t yet know what it’ll be like in Sassnitz this time. As a team, we can influence one another. Erik is generally a very calm sort of person, which has a positive effect on the whole crew.
When there are six of us on board, it puts my mind at ease. I’m sometimes a bit nervous before take-off. But no later than two or three minutes before take-off, I’m completely in the zone and can block out the nerves. Then I tend to feel a rush of positive energy that gives me extra strength.
The interview was conducted by Timm Kruse.
You can listen to the YACHT sailing podcast with Anna Barth here:
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David Ingelfinger
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