Please select your home edition
Edition
Mackay Boats 728x90 TOP

ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix Overall

by SailGP 2 Jun 2024 21:05 PDT 1-2 June 2024

Giles Scott wins his maiden SailGP event, while Australia suffers dramatic capsize on a fast and furious final day in Halifax

Emirates Great Britain has taken the win in a weather-hit final at the ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix - with driver Giles Scott claiming his first SailGP victory since stepping into the driver's seat in January of this year.

Clocking top speeds in excess of 93 km/h, Emirates Great Britain thrived in tumultuous conditions. The Brits finished in the top three of both fleet races, before clinching victory in the winner-takes-all Final ahead of France and Spain, who finished second and third respectively.

The victory is momentous for driver Giles Scott, who has come under fierce criticism for his performances since replacing sailing great Sir Ben Ainslie earlier in the year. Today's win moves Emirates GBR up to sixth on the overall season standings, now 13 points off third as all teams push towards the lucrative $2 million Grand Final in San Francisco in July.

Scott said: "A win at any league event is huge and certainly for me, personally, to come off the back of a pretty frustrating apprenticeship in SailGP. To come out with a win here is massive and it's nice to be able to put a marker down and prove that you're capable of winning."

The day's conditions also caused drama off the water - with high winds forcing SailGP to adopt an adjusted format after being unable to safely crane all ten F50s into the water in time for the start of racing. With team's prioritized in order of day one standings, Switzerland and the U.S. were unable to race on day two, whilst Germany missed out on Fleet Race Four.

The other major talking point from the ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix was the dramatic capsize involving Australia on the final upwind leg of Fleet Race Five. With tumultuous conditions playing no small part, driver Tom Slingsby pointed to a 'malfunction' with boat controls as a cause of the incident. All athletes are fine, but the incident builds on recent woes for the Aussie crew, including an eight season-point penalty in Christchurch.

Slingsby said: "No one touched a button and the wing inverted and resulted in a capsize. It's a technical issue and I feel like a broken record. I don't like to blame anyone or anything, but it feels like we've been pretty unlucky with technical issues."

The inaugural ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix has proven a favorite among fans, with thousands braving the rain to watch the action from the sold-out Race Stadium, alongside packed crowds watching from multiple vantage points around waterfront and surrounding harbor.

Despite the home crowd support and a win in Fleet Race Four, the Canada SailGP Team had a disappointing day overall, finishing last in Fleet Race Five to miss out on the Grand Final and end the weekend sixth overall.

Robertson said: "We were having a very good time and how could you not in front of that many people and your home country? We were in pretty good shape going into the last race and we just let it slip away again. It is what it is and what an epic event we've just had."

New Zealand maintains the top spot on the Season 4 Championship leaderboard, despite a fifth place finish at the event overall. It was the first time that the Black Foils have missed out on a Final since Cadiz last year. With Australia bumped from second to third in the overall standings, there are now five teams in close contention for the Grand Final.

Despite being critical of the 'disappointing' decision for his team not to race, U.S. SailGP Team CEO and strategist Mike Buckley remained positive about upcoming consecutive home events in New York (22-23 June) and San Francisco (13-14 July).

Buckley said: "Racing in New York City, where I live with my family, I can't wait to get there. I think it's going to be a brilliant show of racing with the rest of the world. Our last two events in the United States are going to be awesome for us. We can't wait."

SailGP continues its North American tour with all ten teams heading to the Big Apple for the penultimate event of the season, the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix, 22-23 June. Fans will be able to experience the most exciting racing on water in front of the iconic New York City skyline and Statue of Liberty. Limited tickets to the event remain - available for purchase at SailGP.com/NewYork.

ROCKWOOL CANADA SAIL GRAND PRIX // FINAL STANDINGS //

1 // Emirates Great Britain 10 points
2 // France 9 points
3 // ROCKWOOL Denmark 8 points
4 // Spain 7 points
5 // New Zealand 6 points
6 // Canada 5 points
7 // Australia 4 points
8 // Germany 3 points (did not compete in Fleet Race Four)
9 // Switzerland 2 points (Switzerland did not compete in Sunday's racing)
10 // United States 1 points (USA did not compete in Sunday's racing)

SAILGP SEASON 4 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (after 11 events) //

1 // New Zealand 83 points
2 // Spain 72 points
3 // Australia 71 points
4 // France 65 points
5 // ROCKWOOL Denmark 64 points
6 // Emirates GBR 58 points
7 // Canada 58 points
8 // USA 50 points
9 // Germany 35 points
10 // Switzerland 28 points

Season penalties

  • Australia SailGP Team - docked eight points in Season Championship for 12-point penalty at ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
  • Canada SailGP Team - docked four points in Season Championship for eight-point penalty at France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez
  • Emirates Great Britain - docked four points in Season Championship for eight-point penalty at ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
  • Germany SailGP Team - docked two points in Season Championship for four-point penalty at Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix
  • 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
  • ROCKWOOL Denmark - docked four points in Season Championship for eight-point penalty at ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
  • Spain SailGP Team - docked two points in Season Championship for four-point penalty at Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía - Cádiz
  • Switzerland SailGP Team - docked four points in Season Championship for eight-point penalty at Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council

SAILGP SEASON 4 IMPACT LEAGUE STANDINGS //

1 // ROCKWOOL Denmark // 454 points
2 // Switzerland // 432 points
3 // Emirates Great Britain // 420 points
4 // France // 411 points
5 // Australia // 404 points
6 // New Zealand // 390 points
7 // Germany // 385 points
8 // United States // 381 points
9 // Canada // 369 points
10 // Spain // 341 points

Related Articles

SailGP Day 2: Solid breeze arrives at Portsmouth
The French are back in action for a windy Day 2 at Portsmouth. The good news for French fans is that their broken wingsail has been repaired overnight, and there should be 12 teams on the start-line for Day 2. Posted today at 11:42 am
Emirates GBR storm to top of event leaderboard
After Day One of SailGP Portsmouth debut Hometown glory for Dylan Fletcher's Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team as they lead the fleet after a picture perfect opening day of the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth. Posted on 19 Jul
SailGP Portsmouth: Brits nail it on Day 1
Olympic Gold medalist Dylan Fletcher led his team to top the leaderboard after Day 1 The French team broke their wingsail before the start of Race 1 and are likely to be out of the regatta before it starts. Posted on 19 Jul
Emirates GBR tops Impact League standings
SailGP team wins second focus area - Accelerating Inclusion SailGP has announced the winners of the second Focus Area of its industry-leading Impact League - Emirates GBR SailGP Team - as the home-team and defending Impact League champions get set for an epic weekend of racing in Portsmouth, July 19-20. Posted on 19 Jul
SailGP comes to Portsmouth!
We speak to the sailors ahead of the weekend The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth takes place this weekend, with the 12 teams competing in F50 catamarans close to the waterfront, where a massive grandstand has been built for the spectators. Posted on 18 Jul
SailGP: No practice racing at Portsmouth
The Practice Race was a fizzer, however the future of the SailGP fleet development was revealed. The scheduled Practice Day failed to fire at SailGP Portsmouth, after the forecast, admittedly light, breeze failed to male an appearance. The self propelled start marks were making a much better speed than the F50s. Posted on 18 Jul
SailGP Technologies officially launches
New center of excellence in technology & innovation in Southampton, UK SailGP today marks the official opening of SailGP Technologies – the global racing championship's center of innovation, design, and engineering, based out of Southampton, UK. Posted on 17 Jul
SailGP - Fresh breezes predicted
Fresh breezes are forecast the first day of racing in SailGP and the Admirals Cup. With two days remaining to the start of racing in SailGP Portsmouth, the forecast is for fresh breezes on both racedays, which should make for exciting racing. Posted on 16 Jul
SailGP: Stands go up in Portsmouth
The grandstand is in place and prominent on the Portsmouth shoreline, in readiness for the weekend The grandstand is in place and prominent on the Portsmouth shoreline, in readiness for this weekend's SailGP event, which marks the start of the European circuit for the League's Season 5. Posted on 16 Jul
Martine Grael in Racing on the Edge
First female driver to win a Fleet Race captured in behind-the-scenes documentary Major milestone moment for SailGP captured in behind-the-scenes documentary series, which reaches 10 million total viewers since launching in 2021. Posted on 15 Jul
RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERPalm Beach Motor YachtsMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOM