Michael Focused On Continuing Good Starts After Euro Double-Header
Winger trimmer Michael Menninger discusses recent events and looks ahead to Cádiz
Published 09/25/2025
Michael Menninger has pointed to the U.S. SailGP Team's solid starts at the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix, as a step to build on heading into Cádiz.
Sailing as part of a three-up configuration in light winds, Menninger took on grinding responsibilities at times as well as his ‘day job’ as wing trimmer. The reward was a trio of P4 finishes with 14 points collected on Day 2 alone.
Reflecting on the first-ever Switzerland Sail Grand Prix, he said: “Geneva was a new thing for me as a trimmer for sure. Sailing with a three-up configuration – I had never done that before – so it was good to get that under my belt.
“We got a couple of days of that configuration, so it was good to get some reps and consistency. I definitely learned a lot and got a lot better.
“The starting thing is just a bit of intuition, using your gut instincts, and then also trying to use information that’s coming out of the booth. I think we’re doing a good job with the new coaching staff and the new strategist role, with Andrew (Campbell) giving some good quality information.
“After Mark One, we’re actually doing better than some of the top teams – we’re passing boats and sailing well around the course. It’s just about getting around Mark One a little bit better.
“Germany was the best starting boat last weekend, and they got into the Final with ease and were able to win. So credit to them for starting well. For us, that should just be a big focus.”
Sailing three up was something the team had practiced on Friday, knowing conditions were forecast to be light. In the eventuality, it meant Michael joined driver Taylor Canfield and flight controller Hans Henken on the F50 with everyone picking up additional duties.
“We all – Hans, Taylor, and I – had to take on more responsibilities. It’s about sharing the loads evenly,” Michael explained. “Sometimes I’m trimming the wing to leeward and grinding the wing down to leeward, and sometimes I’m to windward doing both the jib and the wing. There’s a lot happening at once.
“In my first couple of days sailing and in the first events, I was really just focused on doing my job trimming the wing as well as I could. But when you sail three-up, you have to take on a lot more responsibility. It was good for me to get my feet wet with that, take a big step forward, and open my eyes to carrying more responsibility on board.”
Four events into his time with the U.S. SailGP Team, Michael has been most impressed by the communication between the boat and the shore.
He said: I think we’ve had a lot of really good candid conversations with the coaching staff and the speed group. It’s really clear what we’re all focused on and how we’re changing the philosophy of how we’re sailing the boat.
“We’re doing a nice job of mode-ing the boat and having good communication onboard. That allows the boat to stay locked in. Hans and I are working really well together, which hopefully allows Taylor to keep his head out of the boat and make good decisions.
“The coaching staff – Marcus and Ivan – are bringing a lot of value in how we’re preparing and constantly looking forward to improvement. We’re doing a really good job of capturing learnings from every day of sailing and taking them forward to improve the next day.”
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