4 days ago
SailGP Has Arrived in the Solent, With the Challenges That Come With It
The narrow, tide-tortured body of water between the south coast of England and the Isle of Wight, the Solent, is a cradle of yachting tradition.
However, when SailGP's catamarans race there Saturday and Sunday, that will be steps beyond tradition. Baby steps, not.
The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix at Portsmouth is the seventh of 12 stops for SailGP in 2025, and the Solent stands out for its challenges and its lore.
Of the Solent and its relevance to sport, Ben Ainslie, the chief executive of the British SailGP Team, offered a succinct thought: 'The Solent is to sailing what the Old Course at St. Andrews is to golf,' he said.
And add Wimbledon to tennis, and Silverstone to Formula 1.
In an interview in June, Ainslie recalled his introduction to the Solent 'as a 10-year-old at a kids' regatta, when I somehow won a ride on an ocean racer.'
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