During the recent successful SailGP event in Portsmouth with 20,000 ticketed spectators, Andy Rice spoke with SailGP CEO Russell Coutts for this week’s episode of The Foil Podcast.
Russell explains how SailGP intends to scale into one of the world’s leading sports properties.
In the wide ranging discussion Russell outlined the biggest changes coming to the SailGP championship over the next few years. From the launch of the new Pensacola training facility and a dedicated pathway for young sailors to plans for 20 teams, 20+ events and a purpose-built logistics ship.
With a new F50 hull about to roll out of Southampton, and the expectation that Hannah Mills, currently with Ben Ainslie’s SailGP team, will skipper the 14th Team in 2027. He also discusses the future race calendar, expansion into new markets, improvements to the F50s for light-air racing, the latest safety developments following recent crashes, and how the league is balancing commercial growth with world-class racing.
The conversation also explores SailGP’s relationship with the America’s Cup, why athlete development is central to the league’s future, and Russell’s long-term vision for making sailing more accessible, more watchable and more sustainable.
This interview took place at the state-of-the-art SailGP facility near Southampton, UK.
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