NZSailGP Team is back in action at the Rockwool Denmark Sail Grand Prix Copenhagen
by Natalie Fortier NZSailGP 20 Aug 2022 02:19 NZST
19-20 August 2022
New Zealand SailGP Team in action alongside Switzerland SailGP Team during a practice session ahead of the Rockwool Denmark Sail Grand Prix in Copenhagen, Denmark © Bob Martin/SailGP
The New Zealand SailGP Team is back in action in Copenhagen for Event 4 of Season 3 of SailGP, and the team has a new target on its back after a dominant performance in Plymouth on and off the water.
The Kiwis enter this weekend's Rockwool Denmark Sail Grand Prix as the first team to win the racing while also topping the Impact League leaderboard at a single event, and Driver Peter Buring says the crew is stoked.
"We're super excited to be the first team to win the double," he says. "Taking both the Impact League and the grand prix in Plymouth is a huge milestone and something we've aspired to since joining SailGP."
After winning three of six races in Plymouth, this morning's pre-event press conference saw a new interest in New Zealand's performance, with rival teams digging deeper into the data to see how they could copy the Kiwis this weekend.
Maintaining there was no silver bullet, Burling said, "We didn't do anything out of the ordinary. We just did everything well and that's what we're going to try to do again this weekend."
But reigning SailGP champions Australia weren't convinced. Knocked from a five-event winning streak by their trans-Tasman rivals, Australian Driver Tom Slignsby says his crew "knew New Zealand was lurking," making strides forward at every event.
"Contrary to what Pete says, it looks like they did change their set-up a little [in Plymouth]. They were definitely sailing quite high and the look of the boat was different. We look at that and try to figure out if that's better than the way we're sailing and how we can make improvements," Slingsby said.
This weekend's action unfolds over two days on the strait between Denmark and Sweden, with live racing on Friday and Saturday 19-20 August CEST / Saturday - Sunday 20-21 August NZT. The event marks the second in the European leg of the championship, with three back-to-back grand prix taking place in Copenhagen (19-20 Aug), St Tropez (10-11 Sep) and Cadiz (24-25 Sep) over the next two months.
Burling says it's great to see momentum is building behind the team heading into such a busy leg of the season.
"We've got amazing support back at home and we love seeing fans get behind the team, particularly as we head into our home event in Christchurch next year. Tickets go on sale in a little over six weeks time and it's going to be amazing to bring SailGP to New Zealand."
Practice Racing was held on Thuyrsday with three races sailed in 15-17kts and the F50's hitting speeds close to 45kts
In the Practice Race 1 USA and Switzerland crossed the finish line, first and second respectively, but overlapped. So it was a good result for both teams for different reasons. NZSailGP sat out the race with gear issues but joined for the remaining two races
In Practice Race 2 the Kiwis pulled off a magnificent well timed start to win the race by a big margin, facilitated by sailing in clear air for the race. With Australia in second, and Denmark 3rd. The Nathan Outteridge helmed Swiss team were third at the final mark but dropped to fifth with a couple of extra maneuvers on the final run. USA could not repeat their performance in Practice Race 1 and finished 8th and last.
In Practice Race 3 Canada snatched the win on the last sprint to the finish, after a riunding snafu by Australia. The two had been in the front pack for most of the race, with the serious racing taking place behind them. USA and Switzerland were both pinged for what looked to be boundary penalties. Denmark were third, with USA 4th and New Zealand 5th.
SailGP Season 3 Schedule:
2022
- May 14-15 Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess
- June 18-19 T-Mobile United States Sail Grand Prix | Chicago at Navy Pier
- July 30-31 Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Plymouth
- Aug 19-20 ROCKWOOL Denmark Sail Grand Prix | Copenhagen
- Sep 10-11 France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez
- Sep 24-25 Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía - Cádiz
- Nov 12-13 Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas
2023
- Jan 14-15 Singapore Sail Grand Prix
- Feb 18-19 KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney
- Mar 18-19 New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
- May 6-7 United States Sail Grand Prix | San Francisco (season final)
SailGP is the world's most exciting racing on water. The global championship features national teams battling in short, intense races at iconic stadium-style venues across the globe. The high-tech, high-speed action features sailing's best athletes racing in identical hydrofoiling F50 catamarans, flying at speeds approaching 100 km/h. SailGP also races for a better future, championing a world powered by nature. Visit SailGP.com for more information.
The New Zealand Sail Grand Prix will be hosted in the vibrant city of Otautahi, Christchurch. Racing takes place in the spectacular Whakaraupo, Lyttelton Harbour 18-19 March 2023, on the side of an ancient volcano under the guardianship of Te Hapu o Ngati Wheke Rapaki. The 10th event on the Season 3 calendar, the New Zealand Sail Grand Prix is the last event before the Season Grand Finale in San Francisco.
Tickets go on sale for 4 October 2022 at 9AM sharp.
Find out more and register for pre-sale access at www.sailgp.com/newzealand