Andrew: A Positive Result in Rio – But Lots More To Put Together

U.S. SailGP Team strategist Andrew Campbell writes to you following Rio

Published 04/20/2026

Reflecting on the first Rio Sail Grand Prix, it was a really good result. People have said it in interviews since the weekend: if somebody had offered us fourth before we started, we probably would have taken it.

We knew it was going to be a really difficult venue. Sugarloaf Mountain and the geography made it really challenging, and you saw some really good teams struggle across the weekend.

I think we managed to continue down our normal track from the last few events, starting with the processes we’ve been trying to put in place. We’ve been reflecting honestly about the improvements we need to make and focusing on consistency.

Keeping Outside Influences Out

A lot of credit goes to Taylor’s starting and proactive approach in the lighter air conditions - I think he’s as strong as anyone in the fleet in that area. That was a really great asset for us in a difficult starting box and tricky upper part of the racetrack.

The rest of the team - in the booth, on the chase boat, on the F50 - just put their heads down and kept working through the whole weekend. There were a couple of things on Sunday that we’d all want to have done a little differently, but the process allowed for a few mistakes without taking us out of the running. To be in a position where we could potentially make the Final in the last race - that’s where we want to be every weekend.

It’s something we expect from ourselves. We don’t really care what other people’s expectations are, but it’s exciting to be in that spot a couple of events in a row now rather than on the outside looking in.

We’re cautiously optimistic that we’re doing the right things. We’re seeing things on Saturday that we also see on Sunday that are causing some gaps between our expectations and our capabilities.

Importantly, we know we can get a lot better in terms of communication, how we set the boat up, and how we race around the course. Continuing to be brutally honest about where the gains are allows us to keep chasing them.

Utilizing Our Strengths

Before the weekend started, we had no expectations about the result - we just needed to go out and keep working. I think the result probably came from that. Ignoring the results produces results in some of these moments.

We could have finished anywhere from the Final to seventh or eighth this weekend based on how we sailed. In the past, this team has probably gotten the bad end of a few breaks, and in the last few events we’ve been on the right side of some good ones. So the result reflects that.

To be in the Final and to come away from a weekend like the Australians did - winning three races on Sunday and the Final - that’s the expectation every team has. We think we can win races, but they’re the ones who did it. So how do they do it? What risks did they take? Where were they conservative?

There’s a clear bar we need to measure ourselves against. The gap is obvious, so we need to be very honest about what we need to do to close it.

Our squad is set up differently from others. With how we rotate personnel because Anna is a full-time grinder. Most teams in the fleet have to move their strategist forward in short-handed scenarios.

So we need to figure out how to make our strengths better than everyone else out there. We’re in a unique position to take advantage of that - we’re just finessing how we do that.

Starting Right

Starting was a real strength this weekend. That’s because Michael and Taylor are on the same page about where they want to set the boat up in those light-air conditions, where you have to fight for clear air and position at low speeds.

Taylor’s background in catamaran sailing puts him in a strong position for that, and Michael has learned how to communicate with him to execute their shared vision from the booth and strategy position. We’re refining the information to empower them to make the right decisions.

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