The stage is set for what could be the most thrilling Trans-Tasman showdown in sailing history as the Australia SailGP Team gears up for the SailGP Season 4 Grand Final on July 13-14 (local time). With an unprecedented four-peat on the line, the Australians are ready to face their fierce rivals, New Zealand, in a high-stakes battle for supremacy.
Speaking at the official press conference today, Australia Team Driver Tom Slingsby said, “The Kiwis and the Aussies have an amazing rivalry in every sport and we do for sure, it does sting a little more when you lose to the Kiwis.”
As the current standings show, Australia is in second place with 77 points, trailing New Zealand, who holds the top spot with 91 points. The rivalry between these two powerhouse teams has reached fever pitch, and the anticipation for this head-to-head clash is palpable as the two top contenders fight for a seat in the Grand Final race.
The Grand Final is a fifteen minute winner-takes-all race, with an increased prize purse of $2 million (USD) for the victorious team, adding even more intensity to the competition.
But first, the Australian’s will need to ensure they perform well on the first day of racing, which will include three qualifying fleet races, to safeguard their position amongst the top three teams to make it to the Grand Final showdown.
Slingsby commented on the season to date saying, “Obviously it’s been a season of highs and lows for us, we sailed so well - the first half of this season we had 7 podiums in a row and even though we weren’t winning those events we were sailing really well. We had a few road bumps along the way. We would love the preparation that the Kiwis have had. We would have loved to come into this event in that way.
The way we take our confidence is from this venue, our record in the final races, we’ve done really well in that final race in the past - we’ve got to find other ways to draw confidence and that’s from our history here.”
New Zealand Driver Peter Burling said, “It’s exciting to have another opportunity at it to be honest and we’d love to have another crack at the Aussies in the final but we need to see what happens in these last five races. It’s the start right through to the finish and we’re excited to have another crack at it.”
Racing will take place on San Francisco Bay between 2.30 pm-4:00 pm on Saturday (13 July) and Sunday (14 July) local time. For Australia, the racing will commence at 7:30 am-9:00 am on Sunday (14 July) and Monday (15 July). Australian fans can tune in to watch the action on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.