ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team secured second place at the inaugural Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix – matching its best-ever SailGP result.
The Danish team grabbed a third and a fourth on Race Day 2 to grab a spot in the event final, in a three-boat showdown with reigning champions Australia SailGP Team, and Spain SailGP Team.
ROCKWOOL Denmark went into the second day of racing on Sunday knowing that a strong showing in at least one of the remaining races would leave them in good shape for a final berth, and started the day well – just missing out on the podium places in Race 4 to grab a fourth, and following up with a third-placed finish in the final fleet race of the day.
In light and patchy breeze, the trio of finalists struggled to find consistent speed, with first-time winners Spain taking the edge on its rivals in front of the grandstand in Long Beach.
“We’re a bit disappointed overall, as we thought we had a good shot at taking the win in the final, but we have to remind ourselves that this is about the long game, and a second place helps us towards our goal of making the overall final at the end of the season,” admits driver Nicolai Sehested.
“We have to say congratulations to Spain – and our time will come. We know we are geting closer to that event victory all the time.”
He adds: “I thought we performed really well this weekend in challenging conditions and on the tightest race track we have ever seen in SailGP. Our boat handling was good and I think we made solid decisions, so in general we can take some momentum into the European events.”
Following three back-to-back Sail Grand Prix in the United States, the SailGP fleet returns to Europe in September – where it will kick off a marathon of three events in just six weeks.
“The next portion of the season is absolutely key,” explains Sehested. “The events come thick and fast, and we need to be ready to go when we hit the water in St Tropez. If we can come out of the next three events in good shape, we know that we will be in a prominent position for the rest of the season.”
The result in Los Angeles leaves ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team sitting in joint second overall in the Season 4 championship, just a single point behind leaders Australia SailGP Team.
