RUSSELL COUTTS, SailGP CEO

Interview

SailGP CEO Russell Coutts speaks about the excitement of a first event in Geneva, a place where he is always happy to return to. Interview.

How important is it to hold the Rolex SailGP Championship event in Geneva?

Russell Coutts: We are really proud about bringing the league to Switzerland. It’s a home market for the SUI team and to bring SailGP, the most exciting racing, on water right into Geneva is a good opportunity to showcase our league in a great way. We selected a place on the lake where we can build the grandstand and bring the fans really close to the action. I think the venue will be a perfect fit. The racing is hugely competitive. And that’s what the fans want to see. They want to see close races. And in Switzerland, they will probably want the Swiss to do well too.

It’s spectacular on TV but even more when you see it in person…

It transforms the viewing experience. It’s hard to fully comprehend how extreme it is when you watch it on TV. Watching the fleet rounding mark one, right in front of the fans, is spectacular. Most of them are blown away and say that they never expected anything like it. It’s fast, intense,action-packed racing. Every team races on identical boats. So it’s the skill of the sailors and not the technology that determines the outcome. That’s the essence of SailGP. And, of course, we have the best
sailors in the world racing on some of the most challenging boats ever designed. That is the way the league is designed and its great racing. And we’re looking forward to bringing this experience to the Swiss fans.

You have raced on this lake. What conditions do you expect?

I did a little bit of racing on the lake when I was living in Switzerland. In September, the wind is a little bit more consistent, and we will probably schedule the racing quite late in the day when you to tend to get a summer breeze. We will set up the rules based on experiences and, of course, the Swiss team will be able to help as they have the experience of sailing in the championship. The F50’s are designed to perform in lightwind. We currently have new light wind foils and light wind rudders in their final stages of development, so these might also be ready for use ahead of the Swiss event.

What do you expect from the Swiss crowd?

SailGP isn’t just for sailing fans. You don’t need to be a sailor to enjoy the action. A large part of our audience is from outside the sailing world. Some fans attend, because they just like the atmosphere. We like people to enjoy the atmosphere, experience great racing, and have fun on the waterside. It’s about combining racing with local culture and good honest fun. The Swiss fans will really love that.

For you personally, is it something special to come back to Switzerland with your SailGP success?

It’s always special for me to come back to Switzerland. I love visiting Geneva. It has some very special memories for me, of course. I feel comfortable in Switzerland. I always enjoy coming back and seeing the people that I became friends with when I was living here with my family. My three youngest children were born in Geneva. It definitely holds some special memories.