SailGP: Paul Goodison to replace Sir Ben Ainslie for next two Grand Prix events
Great Britain's SailGP team will be led by Paul Goodison before Sir Ben Ainslie returns for the fourth SailGP Grand Prix of the season; the British team started the year with a victory in Bermuda at the end of April and every race day is live on Sky Sports
Wednesday 19 May 2021 20:07, UK
Paul Goodison will take the lead for Great Britain during their next two SailGP Grand Prix events and replace helmsman Sir Ben Ainslie.
At the events, which are scheduled to take place on June 5-6 in Taranto, Italy and July 17-18 in Plymouth, Goodison will perform the role of helmsman on Great Britain's boat as Ainslie steps aside due to 'long-standing personal commitments'.
In a statement, the Great Britain SailGP said that Ainslie will continue to lead the team in his role as CEO and that he will return as helm for the ROCKWOOL Denmark Sail Grand Prix later in the year.
Goodison arrives off the back of his position as a wing trimmer in New York Yacht Club American Magic's 36th America's Cup campaign.
He brings a wealth of Olympic and foiling experience to the team after competing for Team GB at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
Goodison won Laser gold at the Beijing games and after, became a three-time Moth world champion in consecutive years from 2016-2018.
"I'm a big fan of SailGP," Goodison said, upon the announcement of his role with the British SailGP team.
"It's a great sporting spectacle with an unrivalled line up of athletes so when Ben called with this opportunity, I jumped at the chance to be involved.
"Italy will be a special event for my family as my wife is Italian, and we currently live with our son in Garda, and to then have the opportunity to head home and compete in Plymouth, it doesn't get much better!"
Goodison will have big shoes to fill in Italy and at Great Britain's home event, as Ainslie commenced Season 2 on a victorious note and showed the true extent of his competitive nature and expertise during the weekend in Bermuda.
After a slower start and with Great Britain sitting in seventh following the first two races, Ainslie led his side to an incredible turnaround before an aggressive start, helped them win the medal match.
The victory in the three-boat, winner-takes-all final, means the British team sit on top of the season standings going into the second Sail Grand Prix of the season.
In all, Season 2 of SailGP will comprise of eight global Sail Grand Prix events which will culminate in a $1m winner-takes-all final in San Francisco next March.
Anna Burnet will also join the British team in Taranto, Italy, as the second female athlete to be part of the sailing squad for Season 2.
This season SailGP has implemented a plan for female inclusion in the championship and teams will have at least one female athlete immersed in their programmes throughout the season.
"It's a really exciting opportunity and I feel honoured to be selected for the trials," Burnet, who will be competing in the Nacra 17 class for Team GB in her first Olympic Games in Tokyo later this year, said.
"There are so many very talented female sailors in the world but historically not many of them have been given the right opportunities to prove themselves.
"SailGP is now offering this opportunity and I hope it will be a big step forward for female participation in the sport.
"When I was little, I really admired any successful female sailors so I hope for young girls getting into the sport, they can see a future in professional sailing that maybe wasn't as visible before," she added.
"It's a very exciting league, the F50s are very cool boats and my aspirations with the team are simple; to work hard with the team, do everything I can to learn as much as I can onboard the boat, and then to hopefully help the team win some races!".
Watch every race day of SailGP Season 2, on Sky Sports. The second Sail Grand Prix takes place on June 5 and 6, with coverage live on Sky Sports Mix.
