In just days, SailGP will make its long-awaited debut in Germany—and the stage could hardly be more dramatic. Sassnitz, a picturesque Baltic Sea port town on Rügen Island, will transform into a stadium of speed as 12 F50 catamarans tear around a course set metres from the shore.
For the home team, Germany by Deutsche Bank, it’s more than a regatta. It’s a landmark moment in front of a sold-out crowd, with grandstands packed along the longest accessible pier in Europe. National broadcaster ZDF will beam the action across the country. More than 20,000 fans are expected—making this one of the most anticipated SailGP events of the 2025 season.
Home advantage, high pressure
Driver Erik Heil—double Olympic bronze medallist—knows the stakes. Germany has yet to score a single point this season, but he believes a surge of home support will bring an “emotional advantage” against the world’s best.
“Sassnitz is another level of pressure because we have the whole sailing and racing community around us,” Heil says. “It sharpens the focus. I hope we deliver… I know we will deliver.”
With the pier-side grandstands just metres from the racing, fans will be so close they’ll feel the spray. For Heil, it’s also a chance to inspire. “This is for everyone, sailor or not. We want to fire up our sport in Germany, especially for young sailors.”
A Baltic Sea race stadium
The Sassnitz venue will offer a natural amphitheatre, where spectators can watch from the pier, the harbour wall, and the surrounding shoreline. The city has expanded seating multiple times after the first 2,000 tickets sold out in under 24 hours—testament to the appetite for top-flight sailing in Germany.
The racecourse itself will be short, tight, and physical. Gusty Baltic conditions, combined with flat-water acceleration zones, could see boats hit top speeds approaching 100 km/h. Mistakes will be punished instantly.
Black Foils: Strategy in the spotlight
While Germany will own the home-crowd roar, the Championship leader is New Zealand’s Black Foils—and one of their sharpest weapons is strategist Liv Mackay.
In our recent Boating New Zealand exclusive, Mackay shared how her role is about mastering the race before it begins. Working alongside skipper Peter Burling and coach Sam Meech, she reads the course, anticipates pressure, and shapes split-second calls that can decide a race.
Exclusive: Liv Mackay, New Zealand’s SailGP strategist, on mastering the race before it begins
“It’s about giving Pete the clearest possible picture,” she says. “We might get only a five-minute warmup, so we go in loaded—mentally, not physically.”
Germany will be a clean slate for almost every team. “We couldn’t find many people who’ve even sailed there,” Mackay admits. “It’ll come down to who can learn the fastest — and that’s something we think we do well.”
Her calm command of race prep has already helped New Zealand win at every venue this season. In a title fight where the top four teams are separated by just four points, her strategic clarity could be the difference between holding the lead or losing it.
The Championship picture
Sassnitz is the seventh stop on the 2025 SailGP calendar, and the title race is fierce:
- New Zealand Black Foils – 54 pts
- Bonds Flying Roos (Australia) – 52 pts
- Los Gallos (Spain) – 51 pts
- Emirates GBR – 50 pts
- NorthStar Canada – 41 pts
- France – 37 pts
- Switzerland – 28 pts
- Red Bull Italy – 19 pts
- ROCKWOOL Denmark – 18 pts
- Mubadala Brazil – 11 pts
- Germany by Deutsche Bank – 0 pts
- United States – 0 pts
With four events remaining, the margin for error is vanishing.
Teams to watch
- Germany by Deutsche Bank – Seeking their first points of the season, buoyed by the roar of the home crowd.
- New Zealand Black Foils – Reigning leaders, with Mackay’s strategic insight and Burling’s steady helm keeping them in control.
- Bonds Flying Roos – Tom Slingsby’s Australians are in striking distance, hungry to reclaim top spot.
- Los Gallos – Diego Botin’s Spain is the dark horse in third, their consistency keeping them in the title fight.
Global momentum
While Sassnitz marks a first for German waters, SailGP’s global expansion continues elsewhere. In the U.S., the league’s commercial profile has just received a major boost with a strategic investment in the U.S. SailGP Team by Next 3—a sports investment platform backed by the Tisch family, co-owners of the New York Giants. It’s another sign that SailGP is gaining traction well beyond traditional sailing circles.
What to expect
- High-speed duels: The short course and flat water will favour aggressive starting tactics and quick manoeuvres.
- Shoreline action: Spectators will have the closest vantage points of any venue this season.
- Strategic battles: Expect Mackay and other tacticians to earn their keep in the split-second decision-making arena.
- Home team fightback: Germany will be throwing everything at this weekend to break their points drought.
As the countdown hits zero, Sassnitz will bring the drama — and with the raw Baltic Sea as its stage, every decision will matter.
