SailGP: Brits make fifth overall despite technical issues at Cadiz
by Great Britain SailGP 26 Sep 2022 10:27 AEST
Australia SailGP Team and Great Britain SailGP Team on Race Day 2 of the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cadiz, Andalusia, Spain. 25 Sept 2022 © Bob Martin/SailGP
The Great Britain SailGP Team finished fifth place overall at the Spain Sail Grand Prix presented by NEAR, with Cadiz delivering challenging racing conditions for the sixth leg of Season 3.
The final day saw light winds and choppy waters; a combination described by drivers as testing for the F50s. The team stated the day in podium position after a battling performance yesterday which saw the team secure two podium finishes including a race win.
On Day 2 GBR, driven by Ben Ainslie, sailed to third place in Race 4 despite technical issues on the F50. In the next the team dropped to a disappointing last place for Race 5, putting an end to hopes for the podium final in Cadiz.
The Grand Prix was won by the Quentin Delapierre’s France SailGP Team who performed consistently well throughout the weekend with a nail-biting race to secure the win in the final against the Australians and Americans.
Reacting to the day’s racing, Great Britain SailGP Team CEO Ben Ainslie said: “Really frustrating result for the team today and a tough way to finish the event.
"Concern over damage to the rudder and a bad start to Race 5 killed our chances for the podium final - we sent a swimmer in the water to access the damage but need to take a closer look as to what went wrong there. The team did well to battle it out for third in Race 4 despite the issues on-board, but Race 5 was a disaster right from the start.
"We knew heading into today that choppy waters with light winds would prove challenging - we needed a strong performance to cement us in the final and ultimately, we’re disappointed as it just didn’t go our way today. We’ll be looking closely at the footage from today to ensure it’s a different result for us as we come back swinging in Dubai.”
The Great Britain SailGP Team, drop one place to fourth in the overall SailGP Championship table and will return to action at a new event destination in the Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas, where the team hope to put on a better show.