From five moments you might have missed from Sydney to France moving back into third, we round up the our most read stories from February.
"It was a pretty insane situation": Emirates GBR driver Ben Ainslie on grinder Matt Gotrel falling overboard in Sydney
First up is the post-race reaction of Emirates GBR driver Ben Ainslie, who relived the moment grinder Matt Gotrel fell through the fairing in Sydney. The team was traveling at close to 50 km/h when Gotrel was thrown off balance during a jibe and inadvertently stepped on the forward fairing, which is not designed to bear weight. Ainslie described the incident as a ‘pretty insane’ situation but said Gotrel’s first words when back on board were ‘keep going’.
Championship leaderboard reshuffled after France declared winner in Sydney
Next up was SailGP’s Championship leaderboard update following the shortened KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix in Sydney. France moved back into third place on the leaderboard after dominating racing in Sydney, while Emirates GBR slipped down into fourth. However, the points have never been tighter, with just three points separating Emirates GBR from New Zealand in second.
Great Britain SailGP Team and Emirates announce three-year partnership
In third was the news that Ben Ainslie’s British team had partnered with the world’s largest airline, Emirates. The three-year sponsorship deal saw Emirates become the team’s first ever title sponsor. Speaking about the partnership, Ainslie said: “This is a pinnacle partnership, one that brings both commercial value as well as supports our sustainability ambitions to support three million young people to take climate action.”
The Russell Report: Spain's team shake-up, the return of Kyle Langford and Spithill's Season 3 'struggles' examined
SailGP CEO Russell Coutts’s pre-race preview of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix in Sydney caught the attention of SailGP fans. Coutts dissected the strategic changes of the Spanish team, the return of Kyle Langford to the Australia squad following injury, and the underperformance of Jimmy Spithill’s United States throughout Season 3.
From France’s domination to dramatic match racing: 5 moments you might have missed from Sydney
Next up was our round up of five of the best racing moments from Sydney, including close crosses, dramatic penalties and technical problems. There was plenty of neck-and-neck match racing between the United States and France, as well as technical challenges on board the green and gold Australian F50.
Christchurch confirmed: All eyes look ahead to the inaugural ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix
SailGP fans breathed a sigh of relief at the confirmation that the league’s first ever New Zealand event later this month will go ahead. The confirmation came after a major weather event disrupted SailGP’s last event. The two-day racing spectacle will see the fleet go head to head on Whakaraupō, Lyttelton Harbour, with live racing taking place from 3:00pm - 4.30pm NZDT on 18 & 19 March.
Peter Burling: ‘How we came back from four points down to win the Singapore Sail Grand Prix’
New Zealand driver Peter Burling’s post-race report of the team’s triumph in Singapore was another of our most read stories in February. Burling explained how the Kiwis battled back from a pre-event four-point penalty to claim in a dominating victory at SailGP’s first event in Asia.
Spain SailGP Team implement decisive strategy change
Next up was the news that Spain had made major changes to its line-up ahead of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix in Sydney, with former flight controller Diego Botin taking the helm. The team announced the departure of former driver Jordi Xammar and former CEO Maria del Mar de Ros.
SailGP and Rolex announce landmark new ten season partnership
Another big commercial announcement for the league caught the eye of SailGP fans, with Swiss watchmaker Rolex confirming a groundbreaking 10 season partnership. The iconic brand has extended the relationship as global presenting market and as the exclusive official timepiece of the championship until the end of Season 13.
“I saw something fly out of the board case”: Kyle Langford explains Australia’s technical problems in Sydney
Last up is Australia wing trimmer Kyle Langford’s explanation of the home team’s technical problems in Sydney. Langford recalled the moment ‘part of the lock mechanism’ broke during warm up laps, leading to a delay in racing as the SailGP Tech Team worked to resolve the issue.
