Erik Heil sails in Sassnitz: German premiere at the Sail GP!

Erik Heil sails in Sassnitz: German premiere at the Sail GP!

Next weekend a historic event will take place in Sassnitz on the island of Rügen: The Sail GP is celebrating its German premiere. Erik Heil, who comes from Berlin, runs it Germany SailGP Team in this spectacular sailing racing series, which was founded in 2019 and now includes twelve nations. Participants sail on identical F50 catamarans, which reach speeds of up to 100 km/h and lift themselves out of the water with special wings.

A total of twelve million US dollars in prize money is at stake at the Sail GP. The competition conditions are characterized by absolute data openness, which enables a fair comparison between the teams. The German team is currently in its second season, but is still technically behind compared to other participants.

Experienced crew with prominent support

Erik Heil is an experienced sailor who has won two Olympic bronze medals in the 49er. His teammate, Stuart Bithell, also won the 2021 Olympic gold medal. At Heil's side is Sebastian Vettel, the four-time Formula 1 world champion and co-founder of the German team, which is competing under the German flag for the first time. Vettel brings valuable experience and insight into speed and technology from Formula 1.

Heil trained for 10.5 days in preparation for the tournament, including 3 days in the simulator and 7.5 days on the water. “Our goal is to sail safely and cleanly over the short courses,” explains Heil. The long routes are replaced by narrow courses that allow spectators to experience the action up close. Over 10,000 fans are expected on Rügen.

The importance for German sailing

Heil emphasizes the importance of the Sail GP taking place in Germany. This provides a great opportunity for junior sailors and the sailing community to learn from the best sailors in the world. However, the German team is currently in second-to-last place in the overall standings with zero points and is aware of the challenges they have to overcome to be successful in international competition.

“We have to focus on our own learning curve,” notes Heil, pointing to the team’s long-term prospects, which Russell Coutts, CEO of SailGP, sees as very positive. Thomas Riedel, another team owner, emphasizes that success cannot come overnight.

In a sport characterized by speed, technology and teamwork, organizers and participants expect an exciting season that will take place in iconic locations around the world. The star chefs of sailing and the exciting races are part of a global highlight that is becoming increasingly important.

The Sail GP races will be broadcast live on the Internet and fans can follow the exciting competitions on June 16th and 17th from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. German time. For the Germany SailGP Team, this is the chance to establish themselves in the international sailing community and show the German audience what they can achieve on the water.

For more information visit Yacht.de and Olympics.com.