SailGP: ‘Tom’s Triple’ attracts top sailors; Team Germany set for home race

​Olympic gold, SailGP championship, America’s Cup victory: Tom Slingsby has already conquered these three major milestones in sailing and is among the favourites this weekend at the Rockwool Germany Sail Grand Prix in Sassnitz. Among his fiercest rivals are Peter Burling (Black Foils), Nathan Outteridge (Artemis Racing) and Diego Botin (Los Gallos), who are chasing not only league points but also the Slingsby Triple. Team Germany goes into the race eager to perform on home turf and highly motivated.

Victories at the Olympics, the America’s Cup and SailGP? Australian Tom Slingsby has already won all three of international sailing’s premier events: Olympic gold in the Laser class off Weymouth in 2012, the America’s Cup with BMW Oracle USA in 2013, and, as SailGP’s record champion, three season titles in the ‘Formula 1 of sailing’. There are very few who can even set their sights on this triple.

The top sailors in SailGP and their chances of a ‘triple’

Another contender is the other top Australian in SailGP: Nathan Outteridge, helmsman for the new Swedish Team Artemis, which is packed with experienced sailors. Outteridge won Olympic gold in the 49er class at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2024 America’s Cup with Emirates Team New Zealand. The SailGP title is still missing from his list of achievements. His team was in the Seasonal championship ahead of the Sassnitz match in third place.

Speaking to YACHT on Friday, Outterridge laughed when asked about his hopes of a triple and said: “I’ve never given that any thought before. But now that I’ve heard it, it sounds like a very nice goal. I’ve got two out of three. We should aim for three out of three this year.” That was nothing less than a declaration of intent from Outterridge for Sassnitz and the subsequent events leading up to the grand season finale at the end of November.

New Zealand’s Peter Burling, a sailor of the century, finds himself in a similar position: he won Olympic gold in the 49er class in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 alongside Blair Tuke and became famous as the most successful helmsman of his generation, having secured three America’s Cup victories for New Zealand. Burling was the youngest helmsman ever to win Olympic gold in the skiff class. And the youngest to win the America’s Cup. In SailGP, however, Burling’s Black Foils have yet to win a championship.

Spain’s SailGP stars are now also chasing the America’s Cup

Following that horrific crash early in the season and a four-month enforced break, it’s going to be a tough year for the Kiwis once again. That’s precisely why they’re hungrier than ever in SailGP, determined to prove themselves as a top team regardless. It’s the other way round for the strong Spanish SailGP team: they won Olympic gold in the 49er in 2024 and the SailGP championship in the same year.

Botin and Trittel still need a victory in the America’s Cup to complete the triple. The Spanish 2024 World Sailing Champions set off in the spring on their first attempt with the French America’s Cup campaign team, La Roche-Posay Racing Team. With Les Bleus, they are aiming for sailing’s most prestigious trophy for the first time.

But before the second pre-regatta for the 38th America’s Cup takes place from 24 to 27 September – when the action gets underway for the first time in the upcoming Cup venue of Naples, and the battle for the bottomless cup begins in 2027 – Diego Botin and Flo Trittel still have important tasks to complete in the Rolex SailGP. First up is Sassitz this weekend (Click here for travel information).

Will Los Gallos’ winning streak continue in Sassnitz?

Botin, Trittel and Los Gallos are the SailGP team of the moment. They’re on a roll again, having won the last two events in Halifax and Portsmouth win. But Flo Trittel remembers last season only too well, and said in Sassnitz: “We need to make sure we keep up our run. That’s the most important thing. Last year, we also won twice in a row. The third event after that didn’t go well.”

“It’s easy to let your guard down a bit mentally after two good events. We don’t want that!” Flo Trittel

At the end of the 2025 season, Los Gallos had failed to reach the Grand Final and, as defending champions, had to watch as Emirates Team GBR pocketed the two million US dollars prize money.

Including Sassnitz this weekend, there are still five events left on the calendar for the 13 teams in this sixth season of the Rolex SailGP. A total of US$12.8 million in prize money is up for grabs. The Germany SailGP Team is also keen to score points on home turf – ideally just as they did last year, when they secured a victory in the very first race and the black, red and gold colours had the roaring crowd on the Sassnitz outer pier on their feet.

“Huge event” reloaded? Team Germany are raring to go for their home match

​“It was a massive event for us last year. We’d love to experience something like that again,” said Kosegarten-Heil, rallying his team for the final push. Everyone gathered in a circle in the German hangar in the Sassnitz pit lane, placing their hands together in the centre. A year on from their maiden victory, they want to come full circle and with a strong home match are heading into the home straight of the sixth SailGP season, which is only the third for the Germany SailGP Team by Deutsche Bank.

The German racing team, skippered by Kosegarten-Heil, Strategist Anna Barth She and her crew need a strong result in Sassnitz if they are to achieve the ambitious target they set at the start of the season. Currently eighth in the table after eight events, they are still two places away from their target of sixth place at the end of the season. When asked what a possible home victory off the Baltic coast of Rügen would mean to the German team, Erik Kosegarten-Heil said: “It would mean the world to us.”

Quite a few teams had to contend with setbacks during the days leading up to the SailGP weekend. Following a near-capsize during training on Wednesday, the boat belonging to the Danish team Rockwool Racing was repaired in a flash, but helmsman Nicolai Sehested will now have to compete in the event with two broken fingers. However, the man who owns his own farm near Copenhagen is a tough character.

"We've picked up a few bruises. A bit of tape on them and we're good to go!" Nicolai Sehested

Following crew changes and an inconsistent season, the Danes are tenth in the table, but they are determined to do better – and are capable of doing so. It was they who reached 103.93 km/h in Sassnitz last year, a speed that still stands as the SailGP speed record. Record-breaking conditions are expected, particularly on Sunday. NorthStar Canada, with double Olympic champion Giles Scott at the helm, are also aiming for the final. Currently seventh in the table after eight events, the Canadians are one place ahead of Team Germany, who, trailing by three points, would be keen to catch up with or overtake the Canadians.

The German SailGP summit: Sassnitz or ‘Crashnitz’?

The Canadians were puzzled by vibrations in the rudders during training on Wednesday, until they discovered that one of their rudder covers had not been removed. Then on Thursday, the NorthStar lower shroud snagged on the deck, requiring a very quick jibe. The Brazilians also experienced a frightening nosedive that briefly brought to mind their crash last year.

The SailGP weekend will reveal whether Sassnitz will once again live up to its nickname ‘Crashnitz’, which it earned during the inaugural event in 2025 following a number of dramatic incidents. Click here to watch Team Germany’s teaser. The action gets underway on the league’s fastest circuit on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 2 pm on both days. ZDF will be broadcasting the races live as part of its afternoon sports programmes.

The following clip shows the most gruelling “Crashnitz” scenes from last year – moments none of the athletes involved would ever want to relive: