Canada’s Concord Pacific Racing makes Historic Debut

06/10/2024 - 20:35 in Sport by Comunicati

Canada’s Concord Pacific Racing made its highly anticipated debut today at the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup, showcasing moments of brilliance amid a few costly mistakes.

The event marks the first-ever women’s competition in the storied 173-year history of the America’s Cup, the world’s oldest international sporting competition.

Led by Royal Vancouver Yacht Club’s Isabella Bertold, the Canadian team showed plenty of grit and tactical sharpness, overcoming penalties and challenging conditions to stay competitive throughout the day.

After two solid fourth-place finishes and a thrilling third-place result in Race 3, Concord Pacific Racing ended the day with a sixth-place finish in the final race. The team now sits in fifth place on the overall leaderboard, 11 points adrift of third-placed Andoo Team Australia, with everything to race for as they aim to break into the top three on Day 2.

“It was a really special day for the history of women’s sailing and for our team to be on this stage,” said Ali Ten Hove, Concord Pacific Racing’s Port Helm. “We could not be more proud to represent Canada and take a step forward for women’s sailing. It was amazing to make history with the team.”

Concord Pacific Racing’s day got off to a challenging start with a restart penalty in their opening race, forcing the team to the back of the fleet early on. Despite this setback, the Canadians fought hard, exchanging positions with Artemis Swedish Challenge throughout the race. As they neared the final gate, they closed in on Australia, but light winds forced the race to be called early, leaving Canada with a fourth-place finish.

Race 2 saw further drama, with both Andoo Team Australia and Sail Team BCN penalised for crossing the start line early. This briefly opened a window for Canada, who sailed steadily in the top half of the fleet. However, light breezes and touch-downs made it difficult to maintain pace, and despite a determined effort, Canada secured fourth place again after a close contest.

Race 3 was the breakthrough moment of the day. Despite a pre-start boundary penalty that initially put them behind, Canada clawed their way back through the fleet. Demonstrating tactical decision-making, they overtook Artemis Swedish Challenge and Team Germany in the final stages, surging into a third-place finish.

However, the final race of the day proved the toughest yet. Canada got off to a fantastic start, briefly holding second place behind Jajo Team DutchSail, who had been dominant throughout the day, but a spectacular touch-down at the top mark saw the Canadians lose ground. Despite moments of recovery, they were unable to regain their earlier form, eventually crossing the line in sixth place.

“I’m quite positive about the day,” added Ten Hove. “The first three races, we were quite far back off the start line, but we sailed really great races, climbing back through the fleet. We showed we have good speed and that we can be up there. The last race was the opposite—we had a great start, but unfortunately couldn’t stay on the foils so I’m confident that if we can put the two together tomorrow we can have a really great day as a team.”

“It was frustrating for sure—bittersweet in some ways,” said Concord Pacific Racing Captain and Starboard Helm Isabella Bertold. “We sailed well around the racecourse but made some big mistakes and left a lot of points out there. We need to keep working as a team to improve our communication and stay foiling in these light and variable conditions. We had good speed, and we know we can be competitive, so tomorrow, we’ll be aiming for some race wins.”

Reflecting on the significance of the day, Ten Hove added, “It’s huge for Canada, and I really hope it inspires female sailors to dream big and see that this could be a step for them in their future. The adrenaline, working together as a team—it’s an incredible experience, and I can’t wait for tomorrow.”

Looking ahead to Day 2, Ten Hove said, “Tomorrow looks like another light wind day, so we’ll need to be aggressive with our starts and really focus on staying on the foils. If we can put everything together, we can have a really great day as a team.”

GROUP B STANDINGS AFTER FLEET RACE 4