Hans Henken

SailGP
Hans Henken returns to the United States SailGP Team as a Flight Controller, following his initial involvement onboard in Season 1. His prior experience competing on the supercharged F50 will prove valuable to the team as they look to improve upon their overall season standing from Season 2.

Youth
Growing up in Southern California, Henken began sailing at just six years old in the Naples Sabot. He has competed at the highest levels of the sport since he was a junior sailor primarily racing 29ers, 49ers and the International Moth. In 2008, he launched onto the world stage when he won a bronze medal at the 2008 Volvo ISAF Youth World Championships and topped that the following year by becoming the 2009 U23 International Moth World Champion.

Henken was captain of the Stanford University Sailing Team and in his senior year was named Stanford Conference Male Athlete of the Year. While competing with the Cardinal, he earned a master’s and bachelor's degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering, an invaluable resource to compliment his sailing pedigree.

Career
Henken has spent the majority of his career competing on the U.S. Sailing Team in the 49er class with his goal of competing at the Olympics. He is currently campaigning for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France alongside teammate Ian Barrows. The pairing is currently ranked 5th in the world following their 4th place finish at the 2021 49er World Championships and 2nd place finish at the 2022 Princesa Sofia World Sailing World Cup.

Personal
Similar to his U.S. SailGP teammates, Henken is an avid surfer and skier and enjoys both whenever he has free time.