Feature
Published on May 30th, 2024
The 13-event schedule for SailGP Season 4 is on its North American leg with the 11th event taking place on June 1-2 in Halifax, Canada. Here are five things to watch for when racing gets underway:
Perfect opportunity for a United States bounce back
Canada might be the hometown heroes in Halifax, but all eyes will be on the United States as they attempt to recover from their dramatic capsize in Bermuda last time out. A practice racing error saw the USA ruled out of the entire weekend’s racing on the Great Sound, and Taylor Canfield’s team have serious work to do to move up the leaderboard, and they will be doing it with a crew change. Will they rise to the challenge and reclaim their position among the leaders?
New venue means new challenges
The ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix marks SailGP’s first-ever visit to Halifax, bringing the excitement of elite racing to the Canadian coast. The new venue means fresh challenges for the teams, but also brand new opportunities which can be capitalized on by those who adapt quickly to the unique conditions of the harbour. This adds an extra layer of unpredictability to SailGP’s already unpredictable racing – and makes Halifax a can’t miss event on the racing calendar.
Windy conditions to be the key factor
Forecasts predict windy conditions for the races, setting the stage for a thrilling contest between seasoned athletes and those less experienced teams. High winds can be both a boon and a bane, testing the crews’ skills and strategies to the limit. The experience of handling such conditions could be the deciding factor in this high-stakes environment.
Race for third heats up
The battle for third place is intensifying, with only three events left of Season 5. The top three teams at the end of the campaign qualify for the winner-takes-all Grand Final, and while Spain are in the driving seat at this moment in time, that could all change very quickly. ROCKWOOL Denmark and France both sit just nine points behind Los Gallos, and a good showing in Halifax for either of those teams could see them close the gap heading into the penultimate event in New York later in June. Should Spain have serious ambitions of winning the SailGP Championship, tightening their grip on third place should be at the top of driver Diego Botin’s priorities for this weekend’s racing.
Sold out racing as we head to Canada
Halifax Harbour is set to be the epicenter of excitement with sold out crowds lining the waterfront to catch every moment of SailGP’s fast and furious racing. The vibrant capital of Nova Scotia is buzzing as one of SailGP’s most hotly-anticipated events has finally arrived, with spectators preparing themselves for a weekend of high-octane racing. The local support – who will surely be cheering on Phil Robertson’s hometown heroes – promises to make the atmosphere truly electric. You definitely don’t want to miss this.
SailGP information – Halifax details– YouTube – How to watch
Season 4 Standings (after 10 of 13 events; results and total points)
1. New Zealand (Peter Burling), 1-7-8-DNC/6-4-1-1-3-1-2; 77 points
2. Australia (Tom Slingsby), 2-3-2-2-3-2-7-1-10-3; 67
3. Spain (Diego Botin), 5-1-3-6-6-10-2-5-4-1; 65
4. Denmark (Nicolai Sehested), 4-2-4-7-2-6-9-2-9-5; 56
5. France (Quintin Delapierre), 6-8-6-4-7-4-4-4-2-9; 56
6. Canada (Phil Robertson), 3-4-10-5-5-3-6-10-3-4; 53
7. United States (Jimmy Spithill/Taylor Canfield), 9-5-5-3-1-8-3-9-8-10; 49
8. Great Britain (Ben Ainslie/Giles Scott), 7-6-1-1-8-5-8-7-7-8; 48
9. Germany (Erik Heil), 10-10-7-8-9-10-9-5-6-5-6; 32
10. Switzerland (Sebastien Schneiter/Nathan Outteridge), 8-9-9-9-7-10-8-6-7; 26
For scoring adjustments, click here.
Season 4 – 2023
June 16-17 – United States Sail Grand Prix | Chicago at Navy Pier
July 22-23 – United States Sail Grand Prix | Los Angeles
September 9-10 – France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez
September 23-24 – Italy Sail Grand Prix | Taranto
October 14-15 – Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía- Cádiz
December 9-10 – Dubai Sail Grand Prix | Dubai*
Season 4 – 2024
January 13-14 – Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix | Abu Dhabi
February 24-25 – Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney
March 23-24 – New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland
March 23-24 – New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
May 4-5 – Bermuda Sail Grand Prix
June 1-2 – Canada Sail Grand Prix | Halifax
June 22-23 – United States Sail Grand Prix | New York
July 13-14 – SailGP Season 4 Grand Final | San Francisco
* Added October 3, 2023
Format for Season 4:
• Teams compete in identical F50 catamarans.
• Each event runs across two days.
• Up to seven qualifying fleet races of approximately 15 minutes may be scheduled for each regatta.
• The top three teams from qualifying advance to a final race to be crowned event champion and earn the largest share of the $300,000.00 USD event prize money purse (increases to $400k for Abu Dhabi with the winning team now earning $200k at each event).
• The season ends with the Grand Final, which includes the Championship Final Race for the top three teams in the season standing with the winner claiming the $2 million USD prize.
• The top team on points ahead of the three-boat Championship Final will be awarded $350,000.00.
For competition documents, click here.
Established in 2018, SailGP seeks to be an annual, global sports league featuring fan-centric inshore racing among national teams in some of the iconic harbors around the globe.
Source: SailGP
Tags: SailGP, SailGP Halifax
