Emirates GBR driver Giles Scott has admitted he is ‘buzzing’ to have secured his first win as driver of the British team after a difficult entry into SailGP.
The British team mastered Halifax’s challenging conditions of high winds and torrential rain to beat ROCKWOOL DEN and France in the three-boat, winner-takes-all Final. This triumphant showdown followed a commanding fleet racing performance, with the team picking up a 3-5-2-3-2 results record.
Speaking after racing, Scott paid tribute to his ‘amazing crew’. “I’m so proud of the whole team and just super chuffed that we’re able to raise the spirits of everybody, win another event and just put something down to build on.”
It comes after Scott replaced team CEO and former driver Ben Ainslie mid-way through Season 4 - with Halifax marking his fifth event behind the wheel.
Since Scott first took the wheel in Abu Dhabi, the team has picked up ‘average’ results, he admitted; the team came 7th in Abu Dhabi, Sydney and Christchurch, before placing 8th in Bermuda.
“I feel like I’ve not had the easiest apprenticeship stepping into SailGP and to come here and win on a racecourse like this is something the whole team can be proud of,” he said.
The ‘jeopardy’ of SailGP means it’s ‘very easy to look pretty average’ and the Brits have ‘been looking pretty average over the last four events.’
“Just to step up to the mark and get an event win under our belts is massive and I’m sure it will give the team a lot of confidence going forward.”
Strategist Hannah Mills added that the win had followed ‘a few tough events’ and a ‘steep learning curve’ for Scott. Despite this, she said the team ‘knew [a win] was coming’. “We knew he was all over the boat and getting to grips with the racing so to pull it off here is phenomenal,” she said.
The refreshed season standings see the British rise to 6th place overall, tied on 58 points with Canada. Both teams are six points behind ROCKWOOL DEN in 5th place, while New Zealand, Spain and Australia occupy the top three positions. After all 14 Season 4 events, the top three ranked teams will qualify for San Francisco’s Championship deciding Grand Final.
