SailGP: "I'll give anything for a chance like this"

A year ago, Team Germany achieved its first SailGP race win in Sydney. 350 days ago, Felix van den Hövel competed in his first SailGP event there as a sailor. In February 2024, the grinder in the German racing team made the leap from the shore crew to the A team on the boat.

SailGP: from the Shore Crew to the A-Team

The Seeshaupter, who lives in Munich, has worked extremely hard for his promotion. Felix van den Hövel fought for his chance with tech expertise from the America's Cup and SailGP as well as uncompromising training. His name Felix stands for "the lucky one". That fits well with the good-humoured grinder in the Germany SailGP team.

His story is one that inspires like the foils inspire the F50s in the SailGP. It shows how expertise and commitment can lead to the world stage of sailing. The 36-year-old boat builder has shown the way. In the first league year of the German racing team of entrepreneur Thomas Riedel and two-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel as a technician, Felix van den Hövel is now celebrating his one-year crew anniversary in Sydney as a grinder.

With his nomination for the sailing team and his first assignment in February 2024, a lifelong dream came true for him a year ago in Sydney, which he has been living ever since "in the coolest team in the league" like his team-mates with enormous commitment. He described his happiness at the time as follows: "I finally get to use what I used to build. It's like unpacking a toy."

Hardships and highs in the SailGP

Felix van den Hövel fulfilled the conditions previously set by the team for his appointment with a radical physical upgrade. Within three months, he had put on more than ten kilograms of extra body weight and top fitness. Since then, he has been a regular crew member of the Germany SailGP team.

"I'm now around 97, 97 kilograms, about 16 kilograms heavier than my normal weight, I go to the gym six times a week and try to build up an incredible amount of muscle strength," says Felix van den Hövel, explaining the highly demanding part of his everyday professional life shortly before "Sydney reloaded". It's "physically ultra-demanding", but, says the Bavarian self and team driver: "It's a challenge for each of us to trim our bodies for high-performance sport. I give everything for a chance like this."

Reward for the effort: Like helmsman Erik Heil, wing trimmer Stuart Bithell, flight controller James Wierzbowski, strategist Anna Barth, grinder Jonathan Knottnerus-Meyer and grinder strategist Will Tiller, Felix van den Hövel sails on the "coolest and most exciting boats in the world". Action-packed high-performance sport at the limit, famous sailing areas and a test of strength with the best sailors in the world are the rewards for which everyone is willing to put in the effort.

Felix is a gigantic character." Erik Heil

Erik Heil sees Felix Van den Hövel as a team dynamo in his hand-picked crew: "We always have a little speech before race days, where we swear ourselves in for the races as if we were in the cabin. Felix recently gave a speech that was massive. He brings a good spirit with him. That shouldn't be underestimated."

Every minute of 'Blood, Sweat and Tears' is worth it for those moments you experience out there." Felix van den Hövel

According to Heil, Felix van den Hövel has also improved as a sailor: "He is making good progress on the grinder. Stu and he, Jona and Will, have also made good progress in working more efficiently and better together."

SailGP: Dream job with the highest demands

One year after his premiere, in which the Germans almost capsized but were able to celebrate the first race win in their team history in Sydney Harbour, Felix van den Hövel is happy: "I feel it's an absolute privilege to be able to sail these boats with this cool team. It's simply legendary, a dream job, more than that."

The job requirements of a SailGP sailor also include these, as Felix van den Hövel explains: "It's tough, sailing is physically super demanding, you always have bruises after the weekend, you feel your whole body. You travel a lot, jet lag, hotel, away from home. You always try to get into a routine: Meetings, briefings, personal development - it's a full programme. It's incredibly hard and exhausting."

Together, Erik Heil and his team want to attack again this weekend. After the first two of 14 SailGP events in this fifth season, the Brits around helmsman Dylan Fletcher, obviously buoyed by their America's Cup commitment, are leading the season rankings ahead of the top favourites from New Zealand and Australia.

Australians want home win, Kiwis want revenge

The Australians led by Tom Slingsby are particularly keen to win at home after their recent victory in Auckland. The Kiwis would like to make up for their home defeat with a success in Sydney. They narrowly missed out on a place in the final in front of their own XXL crowd in Auckland in January. Team Germany will attack from ninth place in front of an Opera House backdrop in Sydney Harbour.

Having recently been set back in Auckland by a broken steering rod through no fault of their own, things should continue to improve for the German racing team this weekend. "I think our chances are relatively good," says Felix van den Hövel. The reason: "We celebrated our first race win here back then and also realised recently in Auckland that we can actually keep up well. A place in the top half would be mega."

As coach, Lennart Briesenick from Flensburg is the experienced rock in the Sydney surf. He is joined on the German coaching bench for the first time by New Zealander Phil Robertson, who has learnt the ropes. Himself one of the most furious attackers in the SailGP for a long time, Robertson represents Team Germany's new second coach Jacopo Plazzi Marzotto, who is about to become a father.

What can Phil Robertson do for Team Germany?

Erik Heil commented on the high-calibre coaching appointment: "Phil is not currently signed up to any team. We want to let him on the boat in the practice races and get some feedback for Stu and James on wing trim and flight control with the T-Foils." Robertson and the Canadian team had already tested the new T-Foils used this season intensively last year.

"I think it's a good attempt that we're making with Phil," says Erik Heil, "I don't know if he'll reveal everything, but I think he has the motivation to get back into a series like this, to help us achieve success and put an exclamation mark on it. So I can imagine that he will come across with his knowledge."

Everyone is looking forward to working in the "largest natural harbour in the world". Felix van den Hövel enthuses: "The legendary Sydney Harbour is surrounded by cool buildings. It's green, it's bushy, it's summer, it's warm, there's a good wind here, and the Opera House is a legendary building in the background. We sail around Shark Island."

Shark Island: the island on the SailGP race course

The island on the race course is another special feature in Sydney, as Felix van den Hövel knows: "It's a small island here, where fans and guests will also be. In certain wind directions, the island can be in the middle of the race course. That is unique. You can sail around the island from the right or left side. There are hundreds of boats outside with people watching. It's simply a sailing town that is connected to the water and water sports."

For the first time this season, all twelve teams will be competing with their F50 catamarans. After having to retire twice because their revitalised F50 catamaran was not yet ready to race, the French team with helmsman Quentin Delapierre will also be taking part again for the first time this season. It will therefore be even closer in the starts and on the harbour course in Sydney.

Erik Heil and his team are focussing on good starts and consistency with further improved communication. "We don't want to slip through the series with a first and a last. If we concentrate well on ourselves, we can also use skilful communication to pick our way through the field. That is a strength. Everyone is still learning on the new T-Foils. You can see that. You can see it in the data, which is far apart. It remains to be seen what settings will emerge and what will prevail."

SailGP: Live and TV broadcasts at the weekend

The six planned races will take place on Saturday and Sunday (8/9 February) between 5 and 6.30 am German time. They can be followed live in the very early morning in the stream via the SailGP YouTube channel and also in the SailGP app. German fans have the opportunity to watch the races with a time delay on both days from 10.00 a.m. German time in the ZDF media centre at zdf.de/sport to watch. Kristin Recke is on duty as commentator.

Click here for the SailGP offer on ZDF.

Meanwhile, tickets are still on sale for the first SailGP showdown in a German sailing area. The German premiere will take place on 16 and 17 August off Sassnitz. In addition to grandstand seats (grandstands on the water) at a price of 76 euros per person, there is also the option of purchasing exclusive boat seats ("Bring your own boat") at a price of 475 euros - according to the organisers, this allows you to experience the regatta from your own boat directly on the race course.

ACTION IN AUCKLAND! A look back at the January event in New Zealand before the action gets underway on Sydney Harbour next weekend in February:

SPECTACULAR! A look back at previous SailGP races in Syndey Harbour, starting with a dream start for the Germany SailGP Team: