ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team scored its best ever Saint-Tropez result on Sunday – as heartbreak in the last fleet race denied it a spot in the final three by just a single point.
The Danes led into Race Day 2 in first place overall, and looked set to cement their place in the final after grabbing a fourth in Race 4 to kick off the Sunday action.
And when the ROCKWOOL boat led to the first mark in Race 5, many would have assumed that their place in the top three was secure.
But, in fourth position approaching the final turn, the Danish boat opted to defend against Great Britain, causing it to touch down into the water, slow and fall back two places – allowing Spain to grab the final overall podium position.
“To be honest, it’s probably the biggest disappointment we’ve had in SailGP,” admits Sehested. “It’s one thing to get beaten when you’re sailing badly, but hurts more when you’ve sailed so well and just make one silly mistake.”
“We got the maths wrong. It’s really hard in the moment, with so many changes in the fleet, trying to calculate your position in real-time, and we got some comms with made us think we had to beat Great Britain… but we didn’t. It’s frustrating, and it’s something that we will learn from.”
Despite the disappointment, Season 4 has started in positive fashion for Sehested’s crew. The Danish team sits in third position overall after three events, with a four point gap ahead of its closest rival.
“For sure, if you’d have offered us this position at the start of the season we would have taken it,” explains Sehested.
“We’re 25 percent of the way into the season and we’ve looked like one of the most dominant and consistent teams, which is really encouraging for us. Yes, it’s a long season, but I’m really happy with the signs and the team dynamic.”
He adds: “We’ve made significant progress in this venue, as we have traditionally struggled a bit (5th in Season 2, 6th in Season 3) – so even though the position isn’t what we wanted, to come here in tricky conditions and dominate most of the weekend is something to be proud of.”
Next up, the fleet heads to the ROCKWOOL Italy Sail Grand Prix in Taranto on 23-24 September, for the second part of a European Triple Header consisting of three events in just six weeks.
“We’re really looking forward to getting back to Taranto – last time we raced there in Season 2, the crowds were some of the loudest we have ever had in SailGP,” says Sehested.
“With ROCKWOOL partnered with the event, it’s going to be a big party, and we have to hope that we can right our mistake today and put on a real show in front of the fans.”
