Anna: We’re Hungry To Get On The Podium
U.S. SailGP Team grinder and jib trimmer Anna Weis writes directly to the fans
Published 01/29/2026
I have stayed relatively local since the Perth Sail Grand Prix, enjoying some time in New Zealand but also continuing to work hard on and off the water.
It was nice to see some progress and actually solidify a better result. The training week was really strong, and we worked hard on focusing on the small details. Everybody had their own individual things they wanted to work on, and at least for me, I tried every single day to set individual, really specific goals and execute them to the best of my ability.
The training was a great lead-in to the weekend, and we were able to execute what we had been working on throughout the week and over the past few months as a team. It was a really good feeling, but we’re also hungry to keep pushing so we can get on the podium and finish stronger. Looking back at last year and sailing in those conditions compared to where we are now, it’s a massive change.
Because SailGP is so in-and-out, you’re able to get into a better routine during a longer training block. Having those training days really allows you to focus on the details. When we go out for practice racing and racing, there’s such limited time, and you really have to pick and choose what you want to spend your energy on.
In racing, you’re trying to perform and get good results, whereas in training you can try new things. It doesn’t necessarily matter if something isn’t perfect at first because you’re able to experiment more. It was really nice, and spending time with the team was a lot of fun. It’s just nice to be together since we’re far apart most of the time.
Setting Targets
Coming into this season, I had a few goals I really wanted to work on from last season, and I was trying to get organized with all of those early on.
For me, it’s about making sure the jibs are ready to go every day, staying on top of settings, and looking at the data. I’m trying to understand where other teams are setting up and what the best teams are doing, analyzing them, and then changing things quickly if something is out of range.
It was a big week for me and I was really focused on some detailed individual things. You spend a lot of mental and physical energy, especially in those conditions because it’s so full-on.
By the end of the day, I was just as mentally exhausted as I was physically exhausted. I flew to Auckland afterward and had to listen to my body when it came to catching up on my sleep!
The team wants to see results – I think everyone would be lying if they said they didn’t. But mindset is everything, and the way you approach each event is really important. Every single team is incredible, and everyone is trying to focus on small details and get that extra one percent better. That can be really difficult during a race weekend.
The more we can hone in individually and as a team, the better it will be for us. Seeing a better result is really motivating, but we all want to do better, so we’re going to keep pushing. Continuing to focus on the process and trusting that results will come from the work we put in is key.
Last season, the only way to go was up, and we really had to take a step back, reset our mindset, focus on learning, and getting better. As soon as you stop having that mindset, you become stagnant and fall behind.
We look up to all the best teams to see how we can emulate them, and just keep that growth mindset of always pushing to improve.
We will be looking to build on our progress in Auckland next month – and hopefully we’ll see some of you there!
Anna
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