The winners of SailGP Inspire’s WASZP racing in Saint-Tropez have reflected on their victories as they look ahead to the event Grand Final in San Francisco.
French national Maïlys Radulic and Swede Hanno Seifert, both 19, were crowned the best performing female and male winners of SailGP Inspire’s WASZP racing program in Saint-Tropez after going head to head against a line-up of talented youth sailors.
The five-day program saw participants go behind the scenes of the Tech Base, meet SailGP athletes and race on the same course as the F50s.
Radulic described the experience as ‘extraordinary’, adding that she was ‘happy with the chance to represent France in the WASZP Grand Final’.
“I went away from this event with stars in my eyes and I can only advise anyone who wants to try to go for it!”
Both Radulic and Seifert overcame tricky wind shifts and marginal foiling conditions to rise to the top of the fleet.
“It was super tight racing, as soon as we got foiling, I felt I had pretty good speed and won some battles - but it was very tight on points,” Seifert said.
He agreed with Radulic that the event was ‘incredible’. “I’m lost for words because the Inspire program allows you to do the Tech Tour, meet the sailors and see the F50s as well.”
Both sailors have ambitions to pursue their sport further, with Radulic harboring ambitions to join the France SailGP Team and Seifert eyeing offshore racing.
“I’d apply anyone to apply for the program,” Seifert said. “The WASZPs are such great boats to sail and doing it alongside the F50s is just incredible.”
Both Radulic and Seifert will go on to compete in the SailGP Inspire WASZP Grand Final - Championship of Champions in San Francisco, where they will battle it out for the ultimate prize against fellow qualifiers from the season.
SailGP Inspire is the community, education and outreach initiative of the global racing league. The program delivery is supported by key partners, including global sponsor Mubadala, and WASZP, Rooster, MarkSetBot, Armstrong, Vakaros and Epropulsion.
