Please select your home edition
Edition
Switch One Design

United States overcomes adversity to take remarkable first win of Season 4 at Spain Sail Grand Prix

by SailGP 16 Oct 2023 05:43 AEDT 14-15 October 2023

Jimmy Spithill and the United States claimed an emotional and remarkable first win of SailGP Season 4 at the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cádiz, Andalucía. Having lost flight controller Hans Henken to injury in Taranto, and after scraping into the final after a huge New Zealand error, the United States produced a stunning race to win the fifth event.

Nicolai Sehested's ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team was undoubtedly the favorite for a historic first ever SailGP victory after dominating wins in races four and five - however the Danes got caught in a battle with Tom Slingsby's Australia. That allowed Spithill and the United States, with Taylor Canfield coming in as flight controller after Henken's unfortunate injury, to pounce and never look back.

Spithill said:

"We really want to dedicate this win to Hans. It was such a massive blow for the team in Italy and a tough moment to go through but it inspired us and gave us a real amount of purpose.

"At the same time, I really want to credit Taylor. He jumped in at the deep end with such a great attitude and hunger for knowledge. The start [in the final] was 100 percent my fault but it doesn't faze this team. It doesn't matter where we are, we're just going to fight until the end. From then on we extended and built a great lead."

Galling for ROCKWOOL Denmark was not just that it built a huge early lead in the final but that the United States impressively overcame a penalty before the start. Sehested got the better of Slingsby's Australia for second - not a historic first win but still his best ever SailGP result. Denmark also surged to second in the overall championship in a congested leaderboard that sees the United States, Spain and Emirates GBR all tied for third place.

Sehested said: "I think we deserved a bit more but that is sport. We are happy, we are consistent and we will keep our heads down and keep working hard and a win will come. We have a really good team that's functioning well together. I said when we started we are going to do it our way, we aren't going to be rockstars but a very good squad that works together. That is proving to work for us."

Third for Slingsby's Australia once again demonstrates the team's consistency - and extends its lead at the top of the overall championship. The agonizing wait for an event win in Season 4 continues for the triple SailGP winners.

Slingsby said: "I am getting quite sick of hearing 'oh, it's good for the overall points' at the end of an event. I want to hear 'well done, you guys won'. It's frustrating. I understand it's a good result but that's five finals in a row and we haven't won one. I want to sail better."

In a dramatic series of events at the end of the fifth race, Sir Ben Ainslie's Emirates GBR cost Peter Burling's New Zealand a place in the final three-boat podium race. The Kiwis were trapped by Emirates GBR after the third mark - who were trailing behind them and still on the previous leg - and received a penalty. This put them back behind the U.S. team - who they had just got past - and meant they just lost out on the final to the Americans.

Burling said: "It was pretty easy for Ben [Ainslie] to go up a couple of degrees and take someone's transom. Like every yacht race, when you're on opposite legs you try and do what you can to work with the other boats around you and he obviously wanted to try and take us out of the final, which he did a nice job of. It was a bit unfortunate for us."

Heading into that fifth race hosts Diego Botín and Spain, popular winners of race one in Cádiz on the opening day, were the other team in with a shout of making the final. Spain had a nightmare race though, finishing last, and ended up ranking sixth at the team's home event.

Winner of the previous two events in Saint-Tropez and Taranto, Ainslie's Emirates GBR was unable to emulate its strong run of form with a seventh and sixth on day two, resulting in an eighth place finish overall.

Phil Robertson's Canada improved two places in the final standings from day one to rank fifth after a fifth and a third on day two. Quentin Delapierre and France, one of three different winners on day one, struggled, finishing ninth and seventh.

Season 4 of SailGP now heads to the United Arab Emirates for its next two events, starting with the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas on December 9-10. For details and tickets head to SailGP.com/Dubai.

SPAIN SAIL GRAND PRIX | ANDALUCÍA - CÁDIZ // FINAL STANDINGS

1 // United States 10 points
2 // ROCKWOOL Denmark 9 points
3 // Australia 8 points
4 // New Zealand // 7 points
5 // Canada // 6 points
6 // Spain // 5 points
7 // France // 4 points
8 // Emirates GBR // 3 points
9 // Germany // 2 points
10 // Switzerland // 1 point

SAILGP SEASON 4 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (after five events)

1 // Australia // 43 points
2 // ROCKWOOL Denmark // 36 points
3 // United States // 32 points
4 // Spain // 32 points*
5 // Emirates GBR // 32 points
6 // New Zealand // 30 points**
7 // Canada // 24 points***
8 // France // 24 points
9 // Switzerland // 11 points
10 // Germany // 8 points****

*Spain SailGP Team docked two points in Season Championship for four-point penalty at Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía - Cádiz

**New Zealand SailGP Team unable to compete in Taranto due to the structural failure of the team's wingsail at France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez

***Canada SailGP Team Docked four points in Season Championship for eight-point penalty at France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez

****Germany SailGP Team docked two points in Season Championship for four-point penalty at Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix

Related Articles

Germany Deutsche Bank claim first SailGP event win
Race Day 2 of the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix The Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank has entered the winners circle, claiming their first event victory at the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix in tricky, light conditions on the waters of Lake Geneva. Posted on 21 Sep
SailGP: Germany score first Event win - Day 2
The German crew led by Erik Heil sailed consistently, on a day where inconsistency was punished. Perhaps it was not surprising that in a nation known for its horology, that the time-clock should have played such a dominant role for the Final day of SailGP Switzerland. Posted on 21 Sep
SailGP: Australia on top in Geneva- Day 1
The Flying Roos (AUS) top of the leaderboard, after the first day of racing in SailGP Switzerland. The Flying Roos sit on top of the leaderboard, after the first day of racing in SailGP Switzerland. This was the first test of the new light air foils, and three races were sailed, all completed within the time limits. Posted on 21 Sep
BONDS Flying Roos in pole position in Geneva
Day 1 of Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix The BONDS Flying Roos top the event leaderboard with 25 points after opening day in Geneva. All 12 international teams battled shifty, light conditions, with those able to stay up on the foils and nail the maneuvers finding themselves still in the hunt. Posted on 20 Sep
SailGP prepares for high-stakes Lake Geneva debut
A weekend of tactical, light-air racing on the horizon The Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix begins tomorrow with a weekend of tactical, light-air racing on the horizon. All twelve national teams hit the water today, getting in essential practice laps in the only freshwater venue of the season. Posted on 19 Sep
SailGP: Artemis is the 13th team to join SailGP
ETNZ co-helmsman Nathan Outteridge to be the helmsman for new Swedish SailGP team. SailGP CEO Russell Coutts has announced that the Swedish team Artemis is the 13th team to join the SailGP League. The helmsman will be Nathan Outteridge, currently a co-helmsman with Emirates Team New Zealand. Posted on 19 Sep
SailGP: Brits win French event
Day 2 of the Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez has been cancelled due to forecast thunderstorms Day 2 of the Rockwool France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez has been cancelled due to forecast thunderstorms expected to impact the area during scheduled racing. Posted on 13 Sep
ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix Day 1
Fletcher flies high on turbulent first day Day one of the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix went the way of Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team as they topped the event leaderboard after the first four fleet races of the weekend in Saint-Tropez. Posted on 12 Sep
SailGP: Brits top leaderboard after Day 1
A squirrely 15-18kts breeze opened up plenty of opportunity for aggressive tactics. Emirates GBR topped the SailGP France leaderboard after the first day of racing in Saint Tropez. The squirrely 15-18kt breeze was distorted by the surrounding high terrain, channeling the pressure and direction, caused some dramatic switching of places. Posted on 12 Sep
Riviera racing: SailGP set for Saint-Tropez return
As league confirms 2026 expansion team plans The Rolex SailGP Championship returns tomorrow - and France's famous "Mistral [wind] has turned up just in time," according to league CEO Sir Russell Coutts. Twelve national teams will hit the startline for the sold-out event. Posted on 11 Sep
Allen Dynamic 40 FooterNorth Sails Loft 57 PodcastRolly Tasker Sails 2023 FOOTER