ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team lines up to compete in the final action of the SailGP European triple header in Cádiz this weekend desperate to avenge a season-worst Sunday in Taranto.
The Danes finished seventh in the ROCKWOOL Italy Sail Grand Prix in September – their worst performance of Season 4 – after a disastrous Day 2 in light breeze cost them dearly.
And Sehested admitted that the performance in the team’s “home” event in Taranto was hurt not only by frustratingly challenging conditions, but also a team mistake – which has now been identified and rectified.
“We had a bit of a shocker on Sunday in Taranto, and it really undid a pretty solid Race Day 1 for us, which is super frustrating,” he explains.
“Yes, the lack of breeze didn’t help, but we were also slower than the other teams, which is worrying. The good thing is, we now know what we did wrong – and we won’t be doing it again.
“It cost us in the event, which is a shame considering ROCKWOOL’s amazing support, but at least we are still looking good in the overall rankings and we have made a big learning.”
The Danes are fourth in the Season Championship – and are looking for a positive weekend to bring the curtain down on a breathless six-week European series that has seen three Sail Grand Prix.
“Our goal was to come out of this part of the season in good shape, and if we can leave Cádiz in touch with the podium spots we will be happy. With almost 25 percent of the season points on the table in France, Italy and Spain, we knew that this phase could make or break our year.”
Sehested continues: “We know we can compete with every team in SailGP on our day, and we are working all the time to increase our consistency and improve our bottom level. I think we are still a little off the top teams when it comes to that, but we don’t mind being a little under the radar and we will stay in the mix as much as we can.”
Danish Olympic champion Anne-Marie Rindom will race in Spain, as SailGP’s groundbreaking Women’s Pathway Programme marks its two-year anniversary.
“Both Katja and Anne-Marie are doing a great job with us,” says Sehested. “We took a different route to other teams in SailGP who are rotating their female talent – whereas we decided on Katja and Anne-Marie early and decided to invest in them to fast-track their development.”
He adds: “They work really hard and collaborate well, and there is no big performance or style difference depending on which of them is onboard, which is a great position to be in.”
To watch the Spain Sail Grand Prix, fans can head to sailgp.com/watch to find out how to catch the action in their market. The racing begins at 15.30 CEST on Saturday.
