HALIFAX, CANADA - 2 June, 2024 - Emirates Great Britain has taken the win in a weather-hit final at the ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix - with driver Giles Scott claiming his first SailGP victory since stepping into the driver’s seat in January of this year.
Clocking top speeds in excess of 93 km/h, Emirates Great Britain thrived in tumultuous conditions. The Brits finished in the top three of both fleet races, before clinching victory in the winner-takes-all Final ahead of France and Spain, who finished second and third respectively.
The victory is momentous for driver Giles Scott, who has come under fierce criticism for his performances since replacing sailing great Sir Ben Ainslie earlier in the year. Today’s win moves Emirates GBR up to sixth on the overall season standings, now 13 points off third as all teams push towards the lucrative $2 million Grand Final in San Francisco in July.
Scott said: “A win at any league event is huge and certainly for me, personally, to come off the back of a pretty frustrating apprenticeship in SailGP. To come out with a win here is massive and it's nice to be able to put a marker down and prove that you're capable of winning.”
The day’s conditions also caused drama off the water - with high winds forcing SailGP to adopt an adjusted format after being unable to safely crane all ten F50s into the water in time for the start of racing. With team’s prioritized in order of day one standings, Switzerland and the U.S. were unable to race on day two, whilst Germany missed out on Fleet Race Four.
The other major talking point from the ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix was the dramatic capsize involving Australia on the final upwind leg of Fleet Race Five. With tumultuous conditions playing no small part, driver Tom Slingsby pointed to a ‘malfunction’ with boat controls as a cause of the incident. All athletes are fine, but the incident builds on recent woes for the Aussie crew, including an eight season-point penalty in Christchurch.
Slingsby said: “No one touched a button and the wing inverted and resulted in a capsize. It’s a technical issue and I feel like a broken record. I don’t like to blame anyone or anything, but it feels like we’ve been pretty unlucky with technical issues.”
The inaugural ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix has proven a favorite among fans, with thousands braving the rain to watch the action from the sold-out Race Stadium, alongside packed crowds watching from multiple vantage points around waterfront and surrounding harbor.
Despite the home crowd support and a win in Fleet Race Four, the Canada SailGP Team had a disappointing day overall, finishing last in Fleet Race Five to miss out on the Grand Final and end the weekend sixth overall.
Robertson said: “We were having a very good time and how could you not in front of that many people and your home country? We were in pretty good shape going into the last race and we just let it slip away again. It is what it is and what an epic event we've just had.”
New Zealand maintains the top spot on the Season 4 Championship leaderboard, despite a fifth place finish at the event overall. It was the first time that the Black Foils have missed out on a Final since Cadiz last year. With Australia bumped from second to third in the overall standings, there are now five teams in close contention for the Grand Final.
Despite being critical of the ‘disappointing’ decision for his team not to race, U.S. SailGP Team CEO and strategist Mike Buckley remained positive about upcoming consecutive home events in New York (22-23 June) and San Francisco (13-14 July).
Buckley said: “Racing in New York City, where I live with my family, I can’t wait to get there. I think it's going to be a brilliant show of racing with the rest of the world. Our last two events in the United States are going to be awesome for us. We can’t wait.”
SailGP continues its North American tour with all ten teams heading to the Big Apple for the penultimate event of the season, the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix, 22-23 June. Fans will be able to experience the most exciting racing on water in front of the iconic New York City skyline and Statue of Liberty. Limited tickets to the event remain - available for purchase at SailGP.com/NewYork .
ROCKWOOL CANADA SAIL GRAND PRIX // FINAL STANDINGS //
1 // Emirates Great Britain 10 points
2 // France 9 points
3 // ROCKWOOL Denmark 8 points
4 // Spain 7 points
5 // New Zealand 6 points
6 // Canada 5 points
7 // Australia 4 points
8 // Germany 3 points (did not compete in Fleet Race Four)
9 // Switzerland 2 points (Switzerland did not compete in Sunday’s racing)
10 // United States 1 points (USA did not compete in Sunday’s racing)
SAILGP SEASON 4 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (after 11 events) //
1 // New Zealand 83 points
2 // Spain 72 points
3 // Australia 71 points
4 // France 65 points
5 // ROCKWOOL Denmark 64 points
6 // Emirates GBR 58 points
7 // Canada 58 points
8 // USA 50 points
9 // Germany 35 points
10 // Switzerland 28 points
Season penalties
- Australia SailGP Team - docked eight points in Season Championship for 12-point penalty at ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
- Canada SailGP Team - docked four points in Season Championship for eight-point penalty at France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez
- Emirates Great Britain - docked four points in Season Championship for eight-point penalty at ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
- Germany SailGP Team - docked two points in Season Championship for four-point penalty at Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix
- New Zealand SailGP Team unable to compete in Taranto due to the structural failure of the team’s wingsail at France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez
- ROCKWOOL Denmark - docked four points in Season Championship for eight-point penalty at ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
- Spain SailGP Team - docked two points in Season Championship for four-point penalty at Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía - Cádiz
- Switzerland SailGP Team - docked four points in Season Championship for eight-point penalty at Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council
SAILGP SEASON 4 IMPACT LEAGUE STANDINGS //
1 // ROCKWOOL Denmark // 454 points
2 // Switzerland // 432 points
3 // Emirates Great Britain // 420 points
4 // France // 411 points
5 // Australia // 404 points
6 // New Zealand // 390 points
7 // Germany // 385 points
8 // United States // 381 points
9 // Canada // 369 points
10 // Spain // 341 points
MEDIA HUB // The SailGP Media Hub is a dedicated space for media to be able to cover SailGP events remotely and includes live streams and updates, press conferences participation and post-race athlete interviews. Access the SailGP Media Hub via mediahub.sailgp.com.
ABOUT SAILGP // SailGP is grand prix racing like you’ve never seen before. The world’s most exciting race on water, where anything can happen in short, adrenaline-fueled battles between national teams at iconic stadium venues worldwide. Top athletes fly identical, high-tech F50 boats faster than the wind at speeds approaching 100 km/h – in a championship that’s powered by nature and races for a better future. Visit SailGP.com to find out more.
ABOUT ROCKWOOL // ROCKWOOL Group is the world leader in stone wool solutions, with operations in 40 countries and sales in more than 120. From building insulation to acoustic ceilings, external cladding systems to horticultural solutions, engineered fibers for industrial use to insulation for the process industry and marine and offshore, ROCKWOOL Group is committed to enriching the lives of everyone who experiences its products and services. Since 2020. ROCKWOOL has been title partner of the ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team in SailGP, and in Season 3, the team won the SailGP Impact League – sport’s first championship dedicated to positive impact. ROCKWOOL has been present in Canada for more than three decades, having opened its first production facility in Milton, Ontario in 1988. In 2008, the 750,000 square foot site was expanded, increasing production capacity and creating 100 additional local jobs, before final construction of corporate headquarters for the region in 2014.
CONTACT // Jamie Clarke | Head of Communications | jclarke@sailgp.com | UK: +44 7525636851