SailGP: Nationality rules changed for Season 5

SailGP: Nationality guidelines modified for Season 5 – modifications defined overlaying all groups

by Richard Gladwell & SailGP 1 Nov 18:08 PDT
2 November 2024

With the privately owned groups cherry choosing expertise from the established, it’s clear that the SailGP crew guidelines have been amended since Season 4.

Initially with SailGP there was a robust try and have a robust nationalistic look to the League, with just one crew being permitted per nation, and to hold that nations flag.

With the emergence and growth of the League that stance is now not viable with new privately funded nationwide groups getting into and attempting to return up to the mark towards groups who’ve been crusing for a number of seasons. The state of affairs is sophisticated by the truth that the SailGP schedule permits solely restricted apply time within the League serviced F50s – a really troublesome state of affairs for a brand new crew attempting to catch up.

So to assist shut the hole between the groups, and make enhance competitors between all groups the nationality guidelines have been eased, permitting skilled sailors with the “unsuitable” passport to be introduced into the crew. Likewise it additionally permits established groups to herald “Prime Gun” crew who once more might have the “unsuitable” passport, in an effort to enhance crew efficiency.

The brand new guidelines are nonetheless properly wanting these which utilized for the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda, sailed within the AC50 wingsailed foiling catamarans which grew to become the forerunner of the one design F50. In Bermuda in 2017 just one member of the crew needed to be a passport holder of the nation of the crew competing.

The League explains the brand new nationality guidelines:

Within the upcoming season [Season 5], 12 nationwide groups will compete all through SailGP’s most expansive calendar but. However what are SailGP’s nationality guidelines and the way have they modified for the 2025 Season?

The up to date nationality guidelines this season name for not less than three nationals to be on board in a six individual crew. This rule fluctuates in keeping with what number of athletes are racing on board at one time.

It drops down to 2 nationals in a 5 individual crew, two nationals in a 4 individual crew and one nationwide in a 3 individual crew.

The brand new guidelines are utilized equally to all SailGP groups, no matter how lengthy they’ve been racing within the league.

It comes after a collection of tweaks to the principles over earlier seasons. Beforehand, SailGP’s nationality guidelines break up groups into ‘developed’ and ‘non developed’ crusing nations, stipulating stricter nationwide crew necessities for ‘developed’ international locations and extra relaxed guidelines for ‘non developed’. This modified originally of Season 4, bringing all international locations onto the identical degree concerning nationwide necessities.

In Season 4, groups racing of their first and second seasons have been permitted a complete of three non nationals, however this dropped all the way down to 2 non nationals as soon as a crew progressed into its third season. Groups of their fourth season in the meantime have been solely allowed one non-national on board.

The brand new guidelines look to have influenced the confirmed crew line-ups of the upcoming season. Brazil for instance has unveiled a crew of three nationals and three non-nationals.

Driver Martine Grael and grinders Marco Grael and Mateus Isaac are all Brazilian nationals, whereas flight controller Andy Maloney is from New Zealand, and wing trimmer Leigh McMillan and strategist Richard Mason are each from the UK. The latter three make up the crew’s non-national quota.