More than 4,000 young people have been engaged through SailGP’s Inspire program so far this season, meeting the program’s aim of leaving behind a positive legacy and building a sustainable sport.
The program reached a total of 4,029 young people across the first six-events of Season 3, which included the largest Inspire program ever at the ROCKWOOL Denmark Sail Grand Prix.
A total of 1,344 students were reached through Inspire’s learning program in Copenhagen, with a total of 56 classes from local schools getting up close with the science behind the F50 and learning how technology can improve energy efficiency and combat climate change.
Elsewhere this season, a total of 260 young athletes have taken part in Inspire’s racing program across the WASZP, RS Feva and Wing classes. One standout highlight saw 16-year-old Bermudian sailor Rachael Betschart crowned the first female winner of the WASZP foiling class after competing in the WASZP for the first time.
Elsewhere, Hattie Rogers, who won the WASZP Grand Final at the end of Season 2, raced on board with the Great Britain SailGP Team in Plymouth and has launched herself into the world of professional sailing. Inspire has also added a Wing Foiling pathway to the racing program, which will unfold over the rest of Season 3 and into Season 4.
There have been a total of 2,022 Inspire learning students and 1,376 Adopt a Club participants, while 10% of Season 3’s 139 career interns have been invited to join SailGP in full or part time positions, while many others have taken up other positions in the industry.
Speaking about the season so far, Youth Program Manager Tom Herbert-Evans said: “SailGP Inspire is a platform that we use at each of our events to involve our host communities and get them involved in SailGP by way of three pillars of engagement; Learn, Careers & Racing.
“The event has grown from 5 events in Season 1 to 12 in Season 3, this means that we are engaging more young people than ever before from around the World, which includes multiple nationalities, cultures and communities. We have key objectives across SailGP to deliver for more inclusion and diversify our sport, it’s amazing to see the amazing stories that have been created as a result of this program. Lastly, the power of sport and how technology and purpose behind SailGP holds an amazing message that we want to use to Inspire the next generation and more importantly help grow our sport.”
Inspire, SailGP’s community, education and outreach initiative, aims to take a leading role in diversifying the sport of sailing for young people without race, gender or socioeconomic status presenting a barrier to entry.
