In this interview (2,000 words):
Why Scott quietly backed a top-four finish in Naples, and why the team sold itself as the underdog
His verdict on Naples as an America’s Cup venue, and why he expects the locals to go “absolutely bonkers”
What he discovered about the ex-American Magic AC75, and why “the grass is greener” is a trap
How different the relaunched boat will be, inside and out, ahead of its early November launch
The winter testing priorities: recommissioning, a new control system, and sails
How many sailing days a month a team can realistically manage, and why more isn’t always better
Managing expectations with first-time owners Karel Komárek and Chris Welch after a strong debut
How he’s balancing the America’s Cup with skippering Canada’s NorthStar SailGP team
JC: Prior to the event in Naples, what expectations had you tried to set for the team in terms of performance?
GS: We didn’t really put a number on it as a group. We were in that kind of privileged position of being underdogs, and I suppose that’s how we sold it to ourselves and outwardly.
I think where my head was at before the regatta was that a top four would be a good result. The team has not done a lot of AC40 sailing by any means – and not nearly as much as some of those other teams – but we had had three camps in Pensacola and we felt like those had been quite efficient. That said, they weren’t necessarily perfectly structured around a good result at that Naples AC40 regatta. But I thought a top four was on the cards, and we came fourth, and that was an awesome result.
JC: That was a pretty awesome prediction, then?
GS: Well, I didn’t really say it to anyone other than a few conversations I had with some of the other members of the team, but yes I think we were all reasonably aligned that if we got into the top four it would be a really good showing – and that’s what we managed.