5 THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR WHEN RACING GETS UNDERWAY IN SYDNEY
From Nicolai Sehested’s return to the cancelation of practice racing, we round up five things to watch out for when racing gets underway in Sydney for the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix.
Can Australia pick up its first Season 4 win at home?
It’s been a long time between meals for Tom Slingsby’s Australia, with the Aussies last winning an event in Season 3’s San Francisco Grand Final. Sitting at the top of the leaderboard, they’ve had a consistent season so far making it into six out of seven Finals. Despite this, they remain on the hunt for their elusive first win of the season. Can Slingsby’s crew take advantage of their home knowledge to win on Sydney Harbour?
Sehested returns to ROCKWOOL DEN
Abu Dhabi was a disappointing event for ROCKWOOL DEN. The team finished 9th overall with substitute driver Nathan Outteridge filling in for Nicolai Sehested. But Sehested will return to the team in Sydney. With their permanent driver back on board, can the Danish nail maneuvers and supercharge boat speed to pick up their first ever SailGP win?
Nathan Outteridge subs in for Peter Burling
Outteridge is swapping teams, stepping in for New Zealand driver Peter Burling, who is expecting his first baby back home. Outteridge is no stranger to the New Zealand team, racing with the crew in the America’s Cup. Can he redeem ROCKWOOL DEN’s poor Abu Dhabi performance and soar to the top of the leaderboard with the Kiwis in Sydney?
Friday practice racing cancelled
Friday’s practice racing session has been called off due to forecast thunderstorms. This means the entire fleet apart from the USA and Germany will go into racing cold, with no practice at all. The USA and Germany will have a few hours of practice on Friday morning – a huge advantage for new drivers Taylor Canfield and Erik Heil, who have never raced on this racecourse before.
First heavy wind racing all season
Saturday’s forecast of 25-30 km/h winds, gusting to 37 km/h, means we have the first heavy wind event of Season 4 so far. Have teams become used to light airs and which crews will master the windier conditions to rise to the top of the fleet.
The KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney takes place on February 24-25, with racing from 16:00 AEDT
