"From crisis to comeback" - this is how the SailGP organisers describe Team Germany's journey through the second year of the international racing series. The realisation: after a nightmare start to the season and the historically highest penalty points haul of twelve points in Sydney, Black-Red-Gold in the SailGP has shown tremendous form at its home event in Sassnitz. However, the latest episode of the documentary series "Racing on the edge - racing at the limit" shows more than just this development.
SailGP: after two Olympic bronze medals in the uphill battle
Skipper and helmsman Erik Kosegarten-Heil is described in the new episode as a "level-headed driver" who has reconciled his top-class sport with his medical studies. The two-time Olympic bronze medallist in the 49er has been the sporting leader of the Germany SailGP Team since the league started in 2023. The path to the top in the league of the world's best sailors is steep and thorny.
It's not that we're not making progress. It's just that everyone is making progress." Erik Kosegarten-Heil
The victory in the first race at the first home game on the Baltic Sea like Sassnitz acted like a miracle balm on the scars of the agonies suffered this season, for which the penalty point hail in Sydney stands as a symbolic low point. "Total horror show by the Germans", "The penalty points were a killer", "Sad for the team" - these were just some of the drastic comments after the German team's training incidents in Australia in February, which were penalised so harshly.
Six months and many battles later, however, the highlight of the German team's second season so far followed just over three weeks ago: on two spectacular race days, Team Germany won back the hearts of the fans in Sassnitz in front of a roaring home crowd.
Team Germany just missed out on the Sassnitz sensation
The racing team of entrepreneur Thomas Riedel and four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel only narrowly missed out on their first final appearance against the backdrop of Rügen's chalk cliffs. The chance to make it to the triple final was only thwarted by the eventual winners from France in the final race. Erik Kosegarten-Heil and his crew had already put themselves in position for the final with a courageous move. But then Les Bleus around helmsman Quentin Delapierre found a late private gust and prevented the dream final with Team Germany.
Now it's off from Sassnitz to Saint-Tropez, where the SailGP has been a guest for a long time. The Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank has long since set its sights on France: On 12 and 13 September, the speedy F50 foilers and their crews will meet at the Rockwool France Sail Grand Prix off the Côte d'Azur. After their victory in Sassnitz, the French are also likely to turn up there for the ninth event of the fifth SailGP season with a broad chest. Team Germany will also be there after their strongest performance of the season so far in Sassnitz.
The races will not take place over the weekend, but on Friday and Saturday. They will also start earlier than usual with starts at 1.30 pm (Friday) and 12.30 pm (Saturday). ZDF will be streaming the races live. Kristin Recke will be commentating and Nils Kaben will be on duty as a reporter and interviewer. The experienced sailing expert is travelling to Saint-Tropez with many positive memories of the season highlight in Sassnitz.
SailGP approval on ZDF
ZDF man Nils Kaben said: "We had 950,000 and 1.1 million viewers on the two race days in Sassnitz. They were spectacular races. We were also lucky with the wind. All the spectators I saw and spoke to in Sassnitz were thrilled and went home with big grins on their faces." As a reminder, click here for the final report from the German premiere at the SailGP.
The French organisers are also hoping for a success like that in Sassnitz for their two race days in Saint-Tropez, whose action ZDF will stream live on Friday from 1.30 pm and Saturday from 12.30 pm shows. For an overview before the first starting shot, click here for the Season standings after eight of twelve events.
The French showdown will be followed this year by the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix (20/21 September) and the DP World Sail Grand Prix (4/5 October) in Cádiz, Andalusia, where Melwin Fink, Lennart Burke and the Globe40 fleet are preparing this week for their start in leg one of the round-the-world race on 14 September. The SailGP finale of the fifth season of the World League will take place on 29 and 30 November in Abu Dhabi.
Final spurt on course for the SailGP final in Abu Dhabi
The best chances of reaching the SailGP final for two million US dollars for the winners are currently held by the three-time record winners and Australian leaders of the Bonds Flying Roos with Tom Slingsby and Peter Burlings, New Zealand's Black Foils (both 61 points) and Team Emirates GBR (58 points), who are level on points in second place. Just two points behind the Brits lurk Diego Botin's Spanish title defenders. After that, the gap to the French (47 points) is already bigger, who are likely to turn up hungry on their home turf.
