Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL finished SailGP Season 3 in sixth place overall following a dramatic battle with Canada SailGP Team in the United States Sail Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Danes – led by Nicolai Sehested – enjoyed a solid second day in San Francisco, grabbing a third and fourth place, but it wasn’t enough to secure a best-ever SailGP championship finish in their second season. The Danes – who hoped to take fifth place – ended the season in sixth.
Sehested said: “We sailed really well today, but had a bit of bad luck and it cost us in the overall standings. It’s a tough one to take, but we end the season on a really positive note and we are confident of starting strong in Season 4.”
The Danish boat found itself in the action right from the off, colliding with United States SailGP Team on the start line of Race 4 – a run-in which left the boat with some light damage on starboard hull.
“Everything happens so quickly on the start, one second you think you’ve got a gap, and the next, the door gets closed,” explains Sehested.
“Jimmy swung the stern a little bit and we made contact, but luckily everyone from both teams got away unscathed.”
The day – and season – was won by Australia SailGP Team, which, led by Tom Slingsby, recorded a hat-trick victory in SailGP, with a third win in three seasons.
Taking the win in a tight battle against New Zealand SailGP Team and Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team in the final, Australia controlled the fleet and took the edge in SailGP’s $1 million dollar shootout.
“Australia are so good, they’re the team you have to look up to,” says Sehested. “They just have a knack of making it count when the pressure is on, and that’s so impressive. Congratulations to them and the rest of the top teams on a fantastic final.”
The Danish team – which claimed SailGP Impact League victory on Friday – ends the season on a high, with a bumper calendar coming next season.
“I can’t wait for next season, which I think is going to be a breakthrough year for our team. We have set a goal of getting into the final race, so we will be doing everything we can to make it happen and put pressure on the top teams. We know we’re heading in the right direction.”
SailGP Season 4 kicks off in just five weeks, on June 16-17 in Chicago.
