June 2, 2024
2 minutes reading time
SailGP: Tight at the top as opening day in Halifax comes to a close
Only three points separate first from fifth at the end of the opening day of the inaugural ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix | Halifax.
Despite not winning a single race on the tricky waters of Halifax Harbour, Emirates Great Britain were the most consistent team across the day with a 3-5-2 record to top the table with 23 points, ranking ahead of New Zealand on 22 and ROCKWOOL Denmark a further point back.
The Kiwis also did not claim a race win despite their placement in second, but the Danes did secure an emphatic victory in Race 2, following up Spain’s success in the opening race.
There were packed crowds as SailGP headed to Canada for the first time in the league’s history, and strong winds meant fans were treated to a day of excellent racing.
And the tricky conditions in Halifax resulted in three different race winners and a fleet without any real dominant teams.
Spain performed strongly in the opening race to claim victory ahead of France and Emirates GBR, but Diego Botin’s team struggled for the remainder of the day dropping to fourth in race 2 and eighth in race 3.
ROCKWOOL DEN, meanwhile, secured a dominant win in the second race – crossing the finish line more than 10 seconds ahead of runners-up New Zealand – but this emphatic showing came in-between middling sixth and fifth place finishes; thankfully for Nicolai Sehested and his team, the Danes are just two points behind Emirates GBR in the race for the podium places.
Race 3 winners Australia will be pleased to have claimed a victory having started the day very poorly compared to their typically elite standards, coming eighth then sixth before beating Emirates GBR and Canada to the finish line in the final race of the day.
The hosts put on something of a showing for their passionate home support – at least following their seventh-place finish in the opening race. Two third places see Phil Robertson’s team well in the hunt for a podium finish and qualification for Sunday’s winner-takes-all Final, with their 20 points seeing them equal with Spain.
Two further Fleet Races are scheduled for Sunday and the congestion at the top of the table means a number of teams still have plenty to play for – with not a single team yet secured of qualification for the winner-takes-all Final.
Text and images courtesy of SailGP.com