Canada driver Phil Robertson has revealed the team has now accepted a new ownership bid and that ‘all the paperwork’ is being ‘finalized’.
It follows a long period of uncertainty for the team after the previous owners stepped away at the end of Season 3. Since then, the team has been operated by SailGP while the league mulled ownership offers from other parties.
Speaking at a pre-event press conference ahead of racing in Los Angeles, Robertson said the team will ‘hopefully have a new ownership group and be on [its] way again’.
“It will be a good place to be - we can get rid of all those unnecessary distractions,” he added.
Robertson reflected on Canada’s strong Season 4 start in Chicago, which saw the team finish in third place, saying it was ‘a good way to start the season’.
However, he said the team had learned from Season 3, which saw them 'start hot' before 'los[ing] our way a bit.'
As a result, the team will be chasing consistency as the Season 4 calendar progresses.
“We want to make sure we’re growing and developing as a squad as well, so we’re in a good space, but we know we’ve got a lot to learn to get to where the bar is at the moment.”
Since entering the league at the beginning of Season 3, Canada has proved itself to be a real threat to the league’s established teams, with a track record in disrupting the leaderboard. This was seen in New Zealand, when Canada beat home favorites the Kiwis to triumph on the waters of Lyttelton Harbor.
When asked about Canada’s chances of making this season’s Grand Final, Robertson emphasized his belief in the team.
“I really believe this team has the goods to be in the Grand Final come San Francisco," he said. “It’s about consistency, it’s a long season and this is just the start, so there’s plenty of racing ahead.”
The Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix will take place on July 22 & 23, with racing scheduled between 4pm-5.30pm PDT. Full broadcast information and How To Watch details are HERE.
