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sports Friday 25 March 2022
SailGP could have team owned by cryptocurrency fans by 2023

By BERNIE WILSON gineered the 50-foot cata-
AP Sports Writer marans used in that regat-
SailGP, the global league ta and formed an annual
co-founded by software circuit with regattas around
tycoon Larry Ellison, could the world.
have a team owned and Tom Slingsby, an Olympic
operated by cryptocurren- gold medalist and former
cy enthusiasts as soon as America’s Cup champion,
the start of its fourth season steered Team Australia to
in late 2023. the inaugural champion-
SailGP announced a multi- ship and $1 million prize in
year partnership Thursday 2019. Slingsby and Team
with blockchain develop- USA skipper Jimmy Spith-
ment platform NEAR that ill, a two-time America’s
will allow sailing and cryp- Cup winner, have quali-
tocurrency fans to engage fied for Sunday’s $1 million,
with their favorite teams winner-take-all race that
and athletes in new ways. will decide the pandemic-
The announcement came delayed Season 2 cham-
ahead of SailGP’s Season 2 pionship. The final spot will
finale, the Mubadala Unit- be determined by five fleet
ed States Sail Grand Prix in races this weekend.
San Francisco, which will For Season 2, SailGP has
culminate with Sunday’s $1 In this image provided by SailGP, Britain’s SailGP Team, right, helmed by Ben Ainslie, crosses paths been using Oracle Stream
million, winner-take-all po- with Spain SailGP Team co-helmed by Florian Trittel and Jordi Xammar during a practice session Analytics to provide real-
ahead of San Francisco SailGP in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 23, 2022.
dium race. Associated Press time race metrics that are
SailGP features most of the available to the sailors as
world’s top sailors, includ- The SailGP DAO would differ “This is groundbreaking group of people and they well as fans watching on TV
ing America’s Cup winners from traditional sports team technology, a ground- would probably feed off or online.
and Olympic gold medal- structures in which a single breaking initiative. We each other’s skills,” Coutts Coutts said one reason for
ists, who race aboard wing- owner or a small group don’t believe it’s been said. “The whole concept partnering with NEAR is that
sailed, 50-foot catamarans calls the shots, said SailGP done before, especially of, ‘Hey, we’d like to have it’s carbon-neutral, which
that can reach 60 mph co-founder Russell Coutts on this scale. And when a say in what’s going on,’ fits the league’s goal of
while skimming above the and NEAR Foundation CEO you think about it, with our that will appeal to a lot of being environmentally re-
waves on hydrofoils. SailGP Marieke Flament. The DAO events being all over the people out there.” sponsible.
will expand from eight to 10 could involve people from world, as well, we’re not just Coutts said a DAO would “We want to be leading
national teams for its third all over the world who vote in one particular territory. have to be viable enough in terms of tech, whether
seaosn. on everything from the That’s of interest as well.” for SailGP to sell it a position it’s our boats, our media,
While the agreement with management structure to Coutts, a New Zealander as a team operator. interactions with our fans,”
NEAR is expected to have the length of the skipper’s who has won the Ameri- Coutts and Ellison, the co- Coutts added. “We want
many benefits for fans, in- contract and could even ca’s Cup five times, said he founder of Oracle Corp., to be modern and lead-
cluding NFTs, the highlight decide whether there expects a DAO would at- started SailGP after their ing. We want to be at the
would be ownership of a should be a woman steer- tract more than just sailors. two-time defending cham- forefront not just what’s
sailing team by a commu- ing the boat. “I think sports fans, racing pion Oracle Team USA was happening today, but we
nity of token-holders known “That’s in some ways why fans, businesspeople, tech routed by Emirates Team want to be looking at and
as a DAO, or decentralized this is so exciting,” Coutts people … you can imag- New Zealand in the 2017 leading what’s happening
autonomous organization. said in a video interview. ine this being a very diverse America’s Cup. They re-en- tomorrow.q

Another day, another win for Naomi

Osaka at Miami Open

By TIM REYNOLDS after falling to No. 77 in the final since, but her win over
AP Sports Writer world because she’s missed Kerber — who had been
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) considerable time to focus 4-1 against Osaka entering
— Two days, two wins and on her mental health in re- Thursday — certainly made
making it look easy. cent years. “She’s the first her look the part of a Mi-
The former world No. 1 is high-seeded player I’ve ami contender. “I went into
through to the third round beaten this year.” the match just really want-
at the Miami Open, easily And when it comes to high- ing to play my game,” said
handling 13th-seeded An- ranked opponents, the Osaka, who has yet to drop
gelique Kerber of Germany drought was even longer. a set in her two matches in Naomi Osaka of Japan plays a ball in her second round
6-2, 6-3 on Thursday. It was Kerber is ranked 15th in the Miami; she beat Astra Shar- women’s match against Angelique Kerber of Germany at the
every bit as one-sided as world; the last time Osaka ma 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday. Miami Open tennis tournament, Thursday, March 24, 2022, in
the score made it seem, defeated a top-15 ranked “I still have the memories of Miami Gardens, Fla.
with Osaka winning 89% of player was when she all the matches she’s beat- Associated Press
first-serve points and 61 of topped then-No. 10 Serena en me before. So yeah, I ers on the women’s side. straight sets. Fernandez —
the 100 points played in the Williams in the 2021 Austra- just wanted to play as well No. 18 Leylah Fernandez, a U.S. Open finalist last year
match overall. lian Open semifinals. Osaka as I could. It worked out.” No. 25 Daria Kasatkina and — lost to Karolina Muchova
“It means a lot to me,” said went on to win that tourna- Kerber’s loss was part of a No. 31 Alize Cornet were all of the Czech Republic 6-4,
Osaka, unseeded in Miami ment and hasn’t been to a tough day for seeded play- defeated Thursday, all in 7-6 (3).q