Hans: Racing In Front Of Parents In San Fran 'Super Special'
Flight Controller Hans Henken discusses racing in front of friends and family in San Francisco
Published 03/24/2025
While the result might not have been what the U.S. SailGP Team was striving for in front of a partisan crowd in San Francisco, it was a special weekend for Flight Controller Hans Henken.
This was a home double header for the U.S. Team but for Stanford University alum Hans, it was also the chance to race in front of friends and family.
Asked about getting to race in front of loved ones, he said: “My parents don't get to watch me race that often and, being here in San Francisco and my parents living here obviously makes it really easy for them to come watch me in a race and it's super special.
“It means a lot to me, to be able to sail in front of my parents and to be able to showcase what I'm able to do day in and day out. There's a lot of hard work that goes into it and they really know that and having their support means a lot to me.”
Back-to-back race weeks at iconic courses on U.S. waters - first in Los Angeles, then San Francisco - made for a special occasion for SailGP and the team. It’s something Hans is keen to see repeated in future seasons.
He said: “You know, it's super cool. I think (it’s) the first time in SailGP history that we've had back-to-back weekends at two different venues and for SailGP to be able to pull that off was pretty special and, obviously, to have both those be home events is also pretty cool, too.
“I think it's probably going to become more and more of a thing in the league and I'm sure it's going to be a challenge, but I think the league's up for it.”
The U.S. SailGP Team F50 Catamaran in front of the San Francisco shoreline
Despite some fast starts across the weekend, the U.S. SailGP Team will perhaps rue what might have been, going 10-8-10 to miss out on Sunday’s Final. But Hans was adamant the foundations are there for improved results further down the line.
He said: “We didn't get the result we wanted to here. We put a lot of work in leading to San Francisco and a lot of those things are going on behind the scenes, but the results don't show it, and obviously we need to go back and continue to put more work into it.
“The story is not over. We're still continuing to push really hard. I thought that PK, Mac, and Anna did a fantastic job on the front of the boat this weekend. Really hard conditions to be G1, G2, trimming this jib, these conditions (were) really, really challenging. So I thought they did a fantastic job and I know that Taylor really got us on the start line those last couple of races.
“We had some awesome starts and we were in the race on mark one. So there's a lot to be really excited about for our team, but obviously the results aren't there and so something's missing.
“We're going to put our head down, look at the data, continue to push really hard to find those gains, find that consistency moving forward for Rio and the future.”
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