Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL put in a valiant performance to take fifth place in the Middle East despite technical challenges which saw them race blind without software.
The Danish boat went into Race Day 2 at Dubai Sail Grand Prix knowing that a strong performance could push them into the top three – but found themselves racing without boundary or timing information due to a technical hitch.
“It’s super frustrating for us, and sometimes the luck just doesn’t come to you,” explains Sehested.
“But, if we take a step back, I’m proud of how the team performed in the circumstances. To take a fourth place whilst racing blind is pretty impressive from the team, and shows that we are working well as a unit.”
Denmark took a sixth place in the first action of the day, and followed up with that fourth – before being pulled from the final race due to safety concerns.
The team received average points for that race, giving them a fifth placed finish overall in Dubai, and Sehested admits that, given the circumstances, it could have been much worse.
“We sailed very well at times this weekend, and that has saved us – it means that even with this disappointing final race, we have a respectable position in the fleet and can go to Singapore with some momentum, and the overall top three spots still in our sights.”
Following the Dubai Sail Grand Prix – the final action of the year in SailGP – Denmark sits in fifth in the overall Season Championship, eight points off third spot, and Sehested believes that the team should take confidence into 2023.
“It’s been an intense and challenging year so far – we’ve raced eight Sail Grand Prix and we’ve had our ups and downs. But are we better than we were at the beginning of the year? For sure, we’re looking strong and I’m happy with our resilience and how we are working through the fleet.”
He continues: “I think next year is going to be a big one for us. We need to start strong in Singapore, and if we can hit the ground running, anything can happen.”
Final rankings – Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas
Australia SailGP Team
France SailGP Team
Great Britain SailGP Team
New Zealand SailGP Team
Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL
United States SailGP Team
Canada SailGP Team
Spain SailGP Team
Switzerland SailGP Team
