Marseille, France, September 22, 2019 – In a season of highs and lows, the United States SailGP Team, the youngest team in the SailGP Championship, finished the inaugural season today at Marseille SailGP and is now focused on taking this year’s learnings into 2020.

“Next year, our goal is to win. Not just be a podium team, but to win,” said Helmsman Rome Kirby. “A lot of things didn’t go our way here in Marseille but I’m not going to make excuses; we have plenty of work to do in the off season and will come out sailing hard in Sydney.”

Light-air conditions plagued today’s final fleet races; only one of two races planned could be completed within the time limit. In Race 7 the Americans finished third but France SailGP Team, its closest rival on points, took its first win in front of the French crowds and moved one point ahead of the U.S. to finish in fifth overall.

The SailGP season scoreboard does not reflect the tremendous improvement throughout the season and the United States SailGP Team’s potential.

“I’m so proud of the team and how far we’ve come. Our experience relative to the other SailGP teams is substantially less, but it’s impressive in our first season to come in and start competing; we led many of the races and were right in the mix,” Kirby said. “

“I’m aiming that our younger age becomes a point of strength. A lot of work will take place in the off season to figure out how to put the rest of the pieces together so that we are top of that podium.”

As attention shifts towards Season 2, the team plans to hit the ground running immediately upon its return to the States with additional details regarding their development plans to be announced soon.

Top on the list will be maximizing simulator time and taking advantage of any potential training opportunities over the next five months ahead of SailGP’s Season 2 Opener in Sydney, Australia on February 28-29.

In addiiton, Kirby will be working closely with team coaches and data analysts to sift through thousands of Season 1 data points and hours of video to analyze how best to build upon the many positives coming out of this year.

“Our learning curve this year has been steep but I’m so proud of everyone's hard work this season. One of the best parts is that I get to sail and work with this group; it’s an awesome team and we have learned a ton.”

About United States SailGP Team
Competing in a new global sports championship, the United States SailGP team is one of six countries competing on the world stage with an eye to redefine sailing. Skipper Rome Kirby leads the young, talented U.S. SailGP Team as they compete against Australia, Great Britain, China, Japan and France in identical supercharged F50 catamarans that are capable of reaching speeds of 50 knots (60 mph). These boats and teams utilize cutting-edge technology, require incredible athleticism to sail and promise to deliver incredible excitement for fans around the world. The U.S. is the only team to host two SailGP events in 2019: San Francisco May 4-5, and New York City June 21-22. For more information, visit https://SailGP.com.

About SailGP
SailGP is sailing redefined. Established in 2018 and headquartered in London and New York, SailGP is an annual, global sports championship featuring bold, cutting-edge technology and awe-inspiring athleticism. The fan-centric, inshore racing takes place in some of the most iconic harbors around the globe and culminates with a $1 million winner-takes-all match race. Rival national teams from Australia, China, France, Great Britain, Japan and the United States battle it out in identical supercharged F50 catamarans, engineered for intense racing at electrifying speeds exceeding 50 knots (nearly 60 mph/100 kph). Visit SailGP.com for more information.
Media Information / Editorial Images & Video:
Media guides, race information, and rights-free images and video can be found at Media.SailGP.com

United States SailGP Team Media Contact:
Laura Muma
+1 773 960 3960
lmuma@sailgpusa.com