SailGP: With Sebastian Vettel and Erik Heil in the Formula 1 of the seas
Tatjana Pokorny
· 31.05.2023
For the first time in the history of the leading international professional series, a German crew will be competing in the SailGP. The Germany SailGP Team will be in action on Lake Michigan on 16 and 17 June at the start of the fourth SailGP season off Chicago's Navy Pier.
German turbo trio for the SailGP: Thomas Riedel, Sebastian Vettel and Erik Heil
To this end, the best in German business and sport have joined forces in the Germany SailGP Team. Entrepreneur and investor Thomas Riedel - President of the leading communications company Riedel - and co-owner Sebastian Vettel will play an active role in the management of the team. The Germany SailGP Team presented the most important team members on 31 May at the Spobis sports business trade fair in Düsseldorf. When going public, SailGP co-founder Russell Coutts handed Erik Heil and Sebastian Vettel the yellow steering wheel for their team and wished them luck for the inaugural season.
The willingness to work hard, the joy of tomorrow's technology, a great deal of passion for high-performance sport and the sustainable world-class sailing format SailGP - these are the reasons team owner Thomas Riedel, Formula 1 legend Sebastian Vettel and Olympic ace Erik Heil give for their joint take-off in the SailGP. All three men are attracted by the high-tech competition of the spectacular SailGP. All three appreciate the sustainable concept of the Impact League, in which the teams' sustainability activities compete against each other in a second competition under the SailGP umbrella.
I see great potential for the Germany SailGP Team in all directions: sporting, entrepreneurial and media" (Thomas Riedel)
Initially in parallel and then side by side, Thomas Riedel and Erik Heil worked on the upcoming premiere for SailGP Team Germany. In recent months, they have also worked intensively with Sebastian Vettel. Thomas Riedel is no stranger to the SailGP. For example, his company produced the 36th America's Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. Riedel's company has also been setting standards as a service provider at the SailGP for a long time, providing the communications infrastructure. The wireless network connects the participants' boats, the support and spectator boats, the referee and camera boats as well as the camera in the helicopter.
"Through my company, we have always been able not only to understand formats, but also to develop them further through technology and innovation. I see great potential for the Germany SailGP team in all directions: sporting, entrepreneurial and media. We believe that a great movement can emerge from this," says Thomas Riedel about his new involvement as a racing stable owner.
Sebastian knows how to win" (Thomas Riedel)
The far-sighted global player continues: "At SailGP, we can credibly realise our concerns in terms of sustainability and diversity. That's one of the reasons why I approached Sebastian as a trustworthy partner and knowledgeable technology and sustainability expert. Sebastian also knows how to win. So he is not only a co-owner in the Germany SailGP team, but a partner at eye level who can help us win in everything we do."
The 34-year-old Sebastian Vettel also sees great potential for the German SailGP team: "I'm involved in this project because the sport format offers extremely fast and exciting races. The boats are only powered by the wind. The SailGP series also pursues a very sustainable approach and, for example, recognises the climate-positive measures of the projects in the Impact League."
Aiming for long-term success
Vettel is known for his keen interest in the environment and sustainability, and has already emphasised the impact of the climate crisis with messages on helmets and shirts during his Formula 1 career. "I'm not a saint," the driver once told a BBC reporter, referring to his passion for motor racing. But that hasn't stopped him from further intensifying his commitment to the environment and climate since the end of his Formula 1 career.
Sebastian Vettel also shares a farm with Erik Heil. Both top athletes exchange ideas about this. As well as on sports and technology topics. "It's impressive to discover the detailed areas in which Sebastian can support us with his experience," says Erik Heil.
Despite high-calibre competitors, team owner Thomas Riedel is not expecting any sailing miracles when the Germany SailGP team starts: "We are aware that success is not something you can achieve in a few races. It may take a few years, but I believe we have a team that will ensure that success materialises," says Riedel. The ambitious team is now getting out of the starting blocks faster than originally thought, turning up on the starting line off Chicago just in time for the start of the fourth SailGP season.
We will have to work our way up. That is the goal" (Erik Heil)
Erik Heil and his multi-talented crew want to challenge the powerful competition in the SailGP as the "new kids on the block" and at the same time push their own learning curve upwards as rocket-like as possible. Vice world champion Erik Heil is under no illusions: "It certainly won't be easy, other world-class teams have also paid their dues when entering the SailGP. We will have to work our way up. That is the goal."
Two and a half years after his first conversation with SailGP CEO Russell Coutts about a German team, Erik Heil is now ready for the premiere and says: "It is both an honour and a challenge for me to be able to compete in this league." Erik Heil and his crew have already completed their first training sessions in San Francisco. Heil has also gained experience in the SailGP simulator.
From a five-metre skiff to a 15-metre projectile
The Berlin helmsman explains: "On my first mission, I was still a guest on the Spanish boat. We sped off from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at 95 kilometres per hour. You feel every steering movement very directly with the G-forces. It's very impressive. Even more so when you're at the wheel yourself."
Heil describes the transition from a five-metre-long skiff to a 15-metre-long F50 projectile as exciting and challenging: "Challenging, because there are many manoeuvres to learn and refine. I have my hat on at the controls, but I still have a lot to learn, which fortunately the experienced people in the crew make easy for me. On the other hand, it's also about making quick decisions and having strong coordination skills. People have often told me that I have a good knack for this."
Optimisation with data from the Oracle Cloud
What will help his team on the steep road to the top? Erik Heil explains: "We have a strong crew together and the data in the SailGP is something that didn't exist at the Olympics: If you're not happy with a tack, for example, you look at the data later and compare point by point how it differs from your opponents' tacks. It's fantastic to also have access to the opponents' data via the Oracle Cloud, which is elaborately processed and made available."
The sailing crew of the Germany SailGP Team includes Kahena Kunze as a strategist. The German-Brazilian is starting her SailGP career as a double Olympic champion. Together with Martine Grael, the 32-year-old won gold in the 49er FX at the Olympic regattas in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2021. When Erik Heil called, the 32-year-old immediately accepted despite her ongoing Olympic campaign for Paris 2024. Kahena Kunze grew up in São Paulo, has both Brazilian and German citizenship and speaks German.
Ready for the baptism of fire in Chicago
The Germany SailGP Team will not announce the final crew line-up with experienced top performers and talented youngsters until next month before the SailGP premiere. On land, the sailors will be flanked by a dynamic team.
The team CEO is Tim Krieglstein, a man who worked for nine years as Senior Marketing Manager at Red Bull. He brings a wealth of experience in the field of events as well as campaign development and management. As team manager, Anne van der Wereld is the rock in the surf. She joined the German team with experience from the Ocean Race and as team coordinator for the New Zealand SailGP team.
Together with coaches, technicians and other players, SailGP Team Germany is ready for its baptism of fire in the Rolex United States Sail Grand Prix in Chicago and a successful long-term participation in the SailGP.
