Slingsby Fights to Survive as Scott Takes the Lead in Canada Sail Grand Prix

SailGP: Tom Slingsby leads Team Australia to victory at ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix Halifax

Tom Slingsby bounces back to secure victory for Team Australia in third fleet race

Tom Slingsby, the three-time defending SailGP champion, helped Team Australia recover from two disappointing races to clinch victory in the third fleet race and stay in contention for the inaugural ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix Halifax on Saturday.

Emirates Great Britain and Peter Burling of New Zealand lead the way

Giles Scott, skippering Emirates Great Britain, took first place with finishes of 3-5-2 for 23 points, with season leader Peter Burling of New Zealand second with 22 points, and Nicolai Sehested of ROCKWOOL Denmark third with 21. Canada and Spain have 20 points each, while the Aussies and France have 18 apiece.

Slingsby shows his class in challenging conditions

Slingsby demonstrated his blistering pace in shifty, gusty conditions. The first two races were tough, with the Aussies finishing eighth and sixth, but Slingsby’s tactical skills came to the fore in the final race. The Australian team executed a fast start, leaping to the front and finishing ahead of Britain and Canada.

Slingsby calls out Nathan Outteridge for aggressive tactics

Slingsby got caught in what he called a “dog fight” in the second race with fellow Australian Nathan Outteridge, skippering the Swiss team. Slingsby revealed that Outteridge made several aggressive moves to push the two teams into a match race. The Aussies believed that Outteridge was attempting to sabotage them.

Burling and Slingsby battle for top position in SailGP leaderboard

Burling, the reigning two-time America’s Cup champion helmsman and a three-time Olympic medalist, entered the regatta with a 14-point lead over Slingsby, his rival from across the Tasman Sea. However, this gap has now been narrowed to just one point.

The prize pool for the SailGP championship has been doubled

This year’s SailGP championship has twice the prize money as previous years. The prize pool is now $2 million, with the top three boats progressing to the winner-take-all Grand Final on July 14 in San Francisco.

Conclusion

The ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix Halifax lived up to expectations. Fans witnessed a truly magnificent display by each country’s best sailors battling it out in the high-speed 50-foot catamarans, with some thrilling conclusions to each race. With just two regattas remaining, the future of SailGP is exciting, not just for the fans but also the incredibly talented sailors who compete at the highest level.

Originally Post From https://wtop.com/sports/2024/06/slingsby-rallies-to-stay-alive-while-scott-has-britain-in-the-lead-in-canada-sail-grand-prix/