With the SailGP organisation still drip feeding news of the new teams, also still to be announced is the make-up of the revamped Great Britain SailGP team.
At the launch back in November, the team was presented as Matt Gotrel, Ben Ainslie and Chris Draper, with the proviso that Draper would not be onboard in 2020, and would be the shorebased manager.
Not only is Gotrel on-board for the SailGP Championship but he recently signed a new contract with INEOS Team UK for the 36th America’s Cup in 2021.
This left four places vacant, wing trimmer, flight controller and two more grinders.
Earlier in October, the former GB SailGP team had announced the recruitment of Matthew Barber as a grinder, after an extensive selection process involving 90 applicants.
He joined as third grinder with Matt Gotrel and Richard Mason in the old GBR SailGP, but no comment was made at the launch as to what his position or that of Richard Mason was with the new INEOS backed team.
Also no word regarding the position of Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bissell within the new team structure, although at the re-launch it was mentioned that they would still be used within the SailGP organisation.
So, until the contract negotiations are complete the Great Britain SailGP team remains in limbo, but they do expect to have it sorted in time for the first event in Sydney, which is 28 and 29 February 2020.
The new Spain SailGP Team will be announced in Madrid in late January following training in New Zealand.
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