Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL sits in sixth spot at half-time in the Bermuda Sail Grand Prix, following a tricky day of racing in the Great Sound.
The Danes – who claimed a high-finish of fourth on Saturday in Bermuda – go into the second day of action with a slim chance of making the final three, but driver Sehested admits that hopes of securing a first overall event podium are a tall order.
“We didn’t have a good day today,” he says. “It was one of those where it just didn’t really go our way. Everything we tried to work on, and achieve, just didn’t go to plan. We need to go away tonight, look at it, and come back firing tomorrow.”
He adds: “We struggled to get off the start. The strategy we had put in place didn’t pay off, and we weren’t the only boat to find it tough. I think we had the wrong strategy today, and we need to come back with a new one tomorrow.”
The conditions in Bermuda were challenging, with light, shifty winds keeping the fleet on its toes.
“We missed a few big shifts out there, so even when we were looking in a strong position, we ended up falling back through the fleet,” continues Sehested. “It’s hard to get away from the group with nine boats on the water, and when we did, we caught bad shifts and actually ended up losing ground. Tomorrow we need to get it right from the beginning, and not waste time learning throughout the day.”
The first racing of Season 3 was won by Canada SailGP Team, who stole the plaudits to finish in first – despite this being their first official day of racing since joining SailGP.
“I have to say congratulations to Canada for an impressive performance – they have some solid experience with Phil (Robertson) and Chris (Draper) onboard, and looked good out there.”
Sunday in Bermuda is looking a little heavier, which Sehested believes will favour the Danes.
“We’d like a bit more breeze, as it means you can push a bit harder, and our strategy plays better in bigger winds – so fingers crossed it builds for Day 2.”
