5 Things You Need To Know About Sassnitz
Everything you need to know ahead of this weekend's Germany Sail Grand Prix in Sassnitz
Published 08/13/2025
It’s all eyes on the tiny port town of Sassnitz this weekend as the inaugural Germany Sail Grand Prix rolls into town.
For the U.S. SailGP Team, it’s the chance to build on some encouraging signs in Portsmouth last time out. Here are five things you need to know ahead of the weekend…
Inaugural German Sail Grand Prix
This homecoming event for theGermany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank is the first in Germany and takes place on the Baltic Sea with the town of Sassnitz located on the island of Rügen in the north of the country.
SailGP commentator Stevie Morrison expects an interesting weekend of racing as a result.
He said: “We can expect slightly different conditions to those we’ve seen at the last few events.
“There will be a lot less tide and current, and generally speaking there’s a good afternoon breeze that blows along the shoreline.
“It’ll be fairly shifty and gusty with flat water, so the conditions could potentially be easier for the flight controllers - but teams will be having to push the boats hard. There are opportunities for the tacticians to bring tactics into the game.”
Additional practice days
The U.S. SailGP Team practice ahead of the Germany Sail Grand Prix
The U.S. SailGP Team was among those teams invited to Germany early for bonus practice time on the water. The team touched down in Europe in time to get on the water Monday, giving them four full days of practice before official practice racing on Friday.
Speaking in The Buckley Pre-brief, CEO, Co-Owner and strategist Mike said: “Time is everything in this league. Time on an F50 is something all the money in the world can’t buy.
“You can only use the boats when they’re available, when there’s enough time between events, and when the shipping schedule allows for extra training days. So every minute, every second makes a huge difference.”
Anna’s German roots
This weekend’s racing has more meaning than most for U.S. SailGP Team grinder and Olympian Anna Weis.
That’s because of her family’s German roots, with her father born in Berlin before moving to the United States as a youngster.
The whole family is now located in the States - apart from her great aunt - and while they won’t be there this weekend, Anna is relishing the chance to race somewhere with family ties.
CLICK HERE TO READ ANNA’S FULL SASSNITZ PREVIEW
Reinforcements poised for action?
Michael Menninger (left) and Andrew Campbell (right) during the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix
Restricted by the conditions in Portsmouth, new crew members Andrew Campbell and Michael Menninger will hope to be pressed into action in Germany this weekend having worked with the team closely throughout the week.
The duo have already made a big impression on Anna, who said: “Andrew is great at seeing the bigger picture.
“He’s the kind of person who, if something’s off, brings everyone back together, which is so valuable in SailGP because we don’t have much time and need to move on quickly from setbacks. Michael is also great at that. Both are positive influences for communication and teamwork.”
Big crowds expected
The Germany Sail Grand Prix Race Stadium and Racecourse
Fresh from 20,000 SailGP fans turning out across the weekend for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, a crowd of more than 11,000 is anticipated for this first-time event.
The racecourse is located in front of Sassnitz's 1.8km breakwater, offering fans a perfect view of the 12-strong fleet of F50s as they whizz past at up to 60mph.
Germany Deutsche Bank driver Erik Heil is relishing the pressure of performing in front of a partisan home crowd - much like Emirates GBR and Dylan Fletcher last month as they reached Sunday’s Final.
He said: “Sassnitz is another level of pressure because we have the whole sailing and racing community around us for our home event,” Heil said.
“For sure we feel more pressure than usual. Personally I think this is good - I prefer more pressure than less. It sharpens the focus.”
Collect now
Collect your 2025 Germany Flag!
Sign up to collect!
Support
Contact
Powered By
© FanCapital LLC