From Australia’s capsize to Giles Scott’s first event win as driver of the Emirates GBR SailGP Team, we round up five moments you might have missed from Halifax’s fast and furious racing action.
Australia get luffed by Switzerland
Australia’s Tom Slingsby and Switzerland’s Nathan Outteridge reignited their rivalry in Halifax, with the Swiss F50 forcing the Aussies to nosedive in the first race of the day. Speaking after racing, Outteridge said he was defending against the Aussies, who were attempting to overtake, but Slingsby vowed to ‘get him back’.
Not all boats make the start line on Race Day 2
High winds played havoc with SailGP’s craning schedule on the second day of Halifax, with the league deciding to prioritize teams on their first day performance. This meant Germany, the United States and Switzerland were all last on the schedule/ While Germany was able to race in the fifth fleet race, both the United States and Switzerland were unable to compete on the second day.
Australia capsize
Disaster struck Australia in the last fleet race when, on the last upwind leg, the green and gold F50 suddenly overturned. Speaking after racing, driver Tom Slingsby said he was ‘as shocked as anyone’ about the incident, immediately attributing it to a technical malfunction on board.
France lose control in the Final
Challenging conditions continued as the second day of racing continued, with torrential rain and high winds combined. Despite leading the Final early on, Emirates GBR came back together with France and ROCKWOOL DEN at the last turning mark, but France suddenly lost control - cutting off the Danish and handing the lead and win to the British.
Emirates GBR secure first win with driver Giles Scott
Emirates GBR beat ROCKWOOL DEN and France to soar over the finish line and mark Giles Scott’s first event victory as driver of the British team. The result followed a spate of poor performances by the team - with Scott first taking over from former driver Ben Ainslie in Abu Dhabi.
