Challenges for NorthStar in Saint-Tropez

Canada NorthStar SailGP Team helmed by Giles Scott lead New Zealand SailGP Team helmed by Peter Burling and Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team helmed by Dylan Fletcher on Race Day 1 of the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix held in Saint Tropez, France © Jed Leicester for SailGP

Expectations were high for the NorthStar SailGP Team coming into this weekend's ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez.

Practice racing was slated for Thursday, but with the legendary 'mistral' blowing hard and winds gusting close to 40 knots, SailGP Race Management had no choice but to cancel on water action for the day. The NorthStar athletes used the time on shore to train in the SailGP simulator and prepare for racing with Coach Joe Glanfield.

Race day one (Friday) proved to be a demanding day for the Canadians who faced a series of setbacks on the water, starting with hydraulic issues at the mooring which were unsettling for the team, followed by a crew change among the grinders due to an injury onboard during race one.

The high winds and shifting race dynamics tested the entire fleet, with NorthStar encountering a series of tough breaks that left them unable to fully capitalize on their preparation and strategy.

Throughout the fleet there were flashes of brilliance followed by moments to forget. NorthStar Canada were second in race two after a fantastic start and leading the majority of the race but had three results towards the back of the fleet to round of the day in tenth overall.

Due to incoming thunderstorms, racing on day two of the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix was cancelled. The weekend's results were calculated based on the standings after day one which translated into a win for the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, followed by New Zealand in second (9 points) and Spain in third (8 points). NorthStar were unable to leverage today's scheduled three races to move up the leaderboard and remained in 10th overall.

"Saint-Tropez didn't go as planned," said Giles Scott, Driver of the NorthStar SailGP Team. "It's disappointing for us. We felt we had a lot that we needed to turn around and now we don't get a chance to do that. We are all gutted, but the small silver lining is that we get to give it a go again next weekend. Stick with us."

CEO and Team Principal Phil Kennard commented, "As a team,we had been really looking forward to this event to break the run of poorer results after our succession of podiums earlier in the season. To have a challenging first day and not be able to sail on day two is frustrating for all of us. We know the areas we need to work on and will be looking to make amends next weekend."

Joining the team in Saint-Tropez as an intern was Sophie Carter of Halifax who gained valuable hands-on experience from her mentor, Fletcher Kennedy, the team's shore manager. Over the last four months, the NorthStar Mentor Program offered 17 Canadian women the opportunity to connect with and learn from a team member. Following on from its success, NorthStar has decided to recruit two additional female team members for season 6 with more details to be released next week.

From Saint-Tropez the fleet heads directly to Geneva for the first ever Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix on 20-21 September.