At the debut Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix on Lake Geneva, the Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank etched their name into league history by capturing their first-ever SailGP event victory. Helmed by double Olympic medalist Erik Heil, the German crew overcame volatile, light-wind conditions to defeat season leaders Australia and host nation Switzerland in the three-boat final.
The turning point came at the very start of the podium race, where the host Swiss team suffered an On Course Side pre-start penalty for crossing early. Germany capitalized immediately, executing a clean start to take an early lead. Although Heil’s crew temporarily dropped off their foils in super-light air after rounding the first mark—allowing Tom Slingsby’s Australian team to close the gap—Germany managed to catch fresh pressure, get the F50 back up on foils, and defend a 20-second lead all the way to the finish line.
This maiden victory marked a major turnaround for Germany in their second SailGP season. Earlier in the season, the team had been hit with an unprecedented 12-point penalty following a series of high-profile collisions. Their breakthrough in Geneva built on recent momentum, coming just weeks after securing their first individual fleet race win on home waters in Sassnitz. Heil noted after the race that while their performance on the water felt great, the surprising amount of support from local fans made the victory even more memorable.
The NorthStar SailGP Team finished eighth overall at the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix after navigating a highly challenging weekend of light-air racing on Lake Geneva. Driven by Giles Scott, the Canadian crew opened the event on a high note by winning the first race of Group B, leading at every mark to cross the line well ahead of the fleet. However, the light and highly variable wind conditions made maintaining consistency difficult across the rest of the regatta.
Heading into the final fleet race, NorthStar was sitting fourth in Group B and just a single point away from securing a spot in their fourth podium final of the season. Their chances dissolved at the start of that crucial race when the team got trapped approaching the starting line on port tack. Scott noted that several foiling boats approached from behind and tacked directly in front of them, blocking their lane and spitting them out to the back of the fleet.
Despite the disappointing eighth-place result, Scott expressed optimism about the team’s ongoing trajectory. He highlighted that the crew has “turned a corner” in light and transitional breezes—conditions that had previously been a major weakness for the team. Looking ahead, NorthStar aims to capitalize on these handling improvements and climb back up the leaderboard in the final two events of the season.
The event as a whole was defined by low winds and heavy drama across the fleet. Patchy conditions forced delay periods and led to on-water equipment adjustments. Fleet racing saw debate over teams engaged in continuous board pumping to generate artificial speed in non-foiling conditions, drawing umpire warnings. Elsewhere, Martine Grael’s Mubadala Brazil team was forced to retire from the event after colliding with a race mark on day two and puncturing their hull, while Peter Burling’s New Zealand team failed to make the final despite winning the opening race, plagued by shifting breezes and pre-start penalties.
In the final event standings, Germany took top honors with 10 points, followed by Australia in second with 9 points and Switzerland taking third with 8 points. Emirates GBR, Spain, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States rounded out the top ten, while Red Bull Italy and Mubadala Brazil closed out the leaderboard.
Event Highlights
1. The Light-Wind Final
- The Lineup: Germany, Australia (BONDS Flying Roos), and Switzerland (led by Sébastien Schneiter) earned spots in the winner-takes-all podium final.
- Crucial Start: Switzerland suffered an OCS (On Course Side) pre-start penalty for crossing early. Germany executed a clean, precise start to take an early lead.
- Tactical Execution: After rounding mark one, Germany temporarily fell off their foils in super-light air, letting Tom Slingsby’s Australian crew close the distance. However, Heil managed to catch fresh pressure, get the F50 back up on foils, and maintain a 20-second lead through the finish line.
2. A Comeback Story
This maiden event win marked a turnaround for Germany in their second SailGP season. Earlier in Season 5, the team had been handed an unprecedented 12-point season penalty following a series of high-profile collisions. Their breakthrough in Geneva came just weeks after securing their first-ever individual fleet race win on home waters in Sassnitz.
3. Drama Across the Fleet
- Umpires and “Board Cycling”: Light, patchy winds forced delay periods and on-water equipment adjustments. A point of debate arose during fleet racing when several teams engaged in continuous board pumping (“cycling”) to generate artificial speed in non-foiling conditions, resulting in warnings from umpires rather than formal penalties.
- Mubadala Brazil Retirement: Martine Grael’s crew collided with a race mark prior to the start of day two, punching a hole in their hull and forcing them out of the event.
- Black Foils Misfortune: New Zealand’s Peter Burling won the opening race on Saturday but suffered penalties and poor starts in shifting conditions, failing to make the three-boat final.
Geneva Event Standings
| Position | Team | Points |
| 1 | Germany SailGP Team | 10 |
| 2 | Australia (BONDS Flying Roos) | 9 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 8 |
| 4 | Emirates GBR | 7 |
| 5 | Spain (Los Gallos) | 6 |
| 6 | ROCKWOOL Racing (Denmark) | 5 |
| 7 | France | 4 |
| 8 | New Zealand (Black Foils) | 3 |
| 9 | Canada (NorthStar) | 2 |
| 10 | United States | 1 |
| 11 | Red Bull Italy | 0 |
| 12 | Mubadala Brazil | 0 |
SailGP is high speed, high tech and high impact. The Rolex SailGP Championship combines cutting-edge tech, iconic global venues, elite athletes and record-breaking speeds to create the most exciting racing on water. Rival teams from the Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and USA battle it out at iconic venues around the world in short, intense races for a total prize pot of $12.8 million. Teams compete in identical hydrofoiling F50 catamarans that fly above the water at electrifying speeds of over 100 km/h.
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