Monaco, 17 July 2025 – Westbrook Racing is thrilled to announce the appointment of Tara Pacheco van Rijnsoever as the new Team Performance Coach, commencing from the next event in Monaco, event 5 of the 2025 E1 Championship. A four-time Olympian and world-class sailor, Tara brings a wealth of experience at the highest level of competitive sailing, along with a sharp analytical approach rooted in her specialisation in foiling craft.
Tara represented Spain at four consecutive Olympic Games, competing in the Women’s 470 and Nacra 17 classes, with standout performances including a 6th place finish at Tokyo 2020 and an 11th at Paris 2024. Her career highlights include a world championship gold in the 470 class in 2011, a silver in 2009, and a silver medal at the 2017 Nacra 17 World Championship. She also boasts several podiums at European Championships, reflecting her consistent presence at the top of international sailing.
Born in Gran Canaria and of Spanish-Dutch heritage, Tara is known for her methodical and data-driven approach to performance. She holds a degree in Maritime Navigation from the University of Cantabria and is widely respected for her technical knowledge and leadership in foiling dynamics.
In her new role at Westbrook Racing, Tara will be responsible for managing the relationship between the race engineers and pilots, leading the on-water planning during race weekends, and supporting strategic decisions before and during competition. Her arrival marks a new phase of development for the team following the departure of Steve Curtis after Dubrovnik, and she is already bringing fresh structure and insight into the team’s performance workflow.
Phil Allen, Team Principal of Westbrook Racing, commented: “Tara’s Olympic and top level competitive experience on the water is very impressive. Her deep technical knowledge of foils, paired with her analytical approach, will bring more clarity and cohesion to our race weekends. She’s already improving our engineer‑pilot collaboration, and we’re confident this will translate into stronger on-water results.”
Tara Pacheco added: “I’m honoured to join Westbrook Racing at this exciting stage in the development of the sport. My focus is to align engineering insights with pilot needs, optimise our weekend planning, and guide strategy through detailed analysis. With the right coordination and execution, I believe we can unlock the next level of performance for the team.”
As Westbrook Racing continues its campaign in the 2025 E1 Championship, Tara’s arrival reflects the team’s growing emphasis on precision, teamwork, and technical leadership.