News article
Equality landmark for SailGP with first female driver
SailGP is set to welcome its first female driver when the championship takes to the water for its 2024-25 season opener in Dubai in November.
The Brazilian SailGP entry has selected two-time Olympic gold medallist Martine Grael (pictured) as its driver – the first since the league’s inception in 2019.
SailGP has long championed women in the sport, with the goal of a female driver having been a major priority. In 2021, the championship introduced the Women’s Pathway with the aim of taking strides towards gender equity.
So far, 37 women have been on board the F50 catamarans, with most SailGP teams having an active roster of three female athletes alongside their male team-mates.
"It is a new and challenging project, being the first woman to drive a SailGP boat."
Grael’s announcement is not the only sailing news worth celebrating in Brazil – the championship is also set to welcome the country to the calendar, with the Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix scheduled for May 3-5 next year in Guanabara Bay.
“I am very honoured to have received this invitation to lead the Brazilian SailGP Team,” said Grael. “It is a new and challenging project, being the first woman to drive a SailGP boat. We will start a new chapter in the competition that brings together the best in the world, at the same time that Rio de Janeiro launches its first stage. It could not be a better moment for our team.”
SailGP Chief Executive Sir Russell Coutts added: “We’re delighted to announce not only the home of SailGP’s first-ever Brazilian event, but to confirm Martine Grael as driver for the nation’s first SailGP team. Martine is an incredible talent and has shown she can win at the highest levels of elite sailing.”
Image: SailGP/AT Films