The SailGP fleet returns to Saint-Tropez for the third consecutive year this weekend at France Sail Grand Prix, to kick off a relentless Triple Header that will see three events in just six weeks.
Following two opening duels in the United States – with Sail Grand Prix in both Chicago and Los Angeles in June and July – Season 4 rolls into Europe, with the 10 SailGP teams setting up for an exciting showdown in the Gulf of St Tropez.
ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team heads to France sitting in joint second position, having started the fourth season strongly, and driver Nicolai Sehested is keen for the team to put its learnings into practice in what promises to be a challenging event.
“Saint-Tropez is always a hard place to race, as the conditions are so random,” he admits. “We’ve seen strong winds, and very light breeze, and you have to be ready for anything.”
In the past two seasons, the Danes have clocked a fifth and sixth place, and Sehested believes that the team is ready to step up to the podium spots on the French Riviera.
“We’ve had a mixed experience in Saint-Tropez – at times we’ve looked super fast and like we can beat anyone in the fleet, and at other times we’ve struggled, and had bad luck with breakages.
He continues: “For us, the most pleasing thing is that we’re seeing a higher level of performance across the board. It’s a long season in SailGP, but we’ve started how we would have hoped – and now we need to make sure we don’t lose momentum in the next month and a half.”
The Saint-Tropez event kicks off a tricky Triple Header for the fleet, with subsequent events – the ROCKWOOL Italy Sail Grand Prix in Taranto, and the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cádiz, coming thick and fast quickly after.
“It’s a very different period for us, and something that I don’t think we have managed well enough in the past,” admits Sehested. “We probably burnt out a little due to inexperience and other activities – so we are approaching this period a little differently.
He adds: “It won’t change how we sail – for sure, you have to push every race as if it’s your last – but it’s true that if a team gets serious damage in one event, they might now make the next, so that’s one of the challenges of this period that we have to bear in mind and adapt to.”
“We need to come out of this period in mid-October in good shape. It can make or break your season – and if we stay consistent and perform well, I think we will be looking good in the rankings when we leave Europe.”
The France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez takes place on 9-10 September, with racing starting at 1330 CEST. Fans can head to SailGP.com/watch to find out how to catch the action in their market.
