Strong start for Denmark to keep best-ever season finish alive

Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL started the final Sail Grand Prix of the season with a strong performance in San Francisco Bay on Saturday.

The Danes ended the day in fourth place overall, just a single point off the podium spots, after a trio of tricky races which saw them pick up a fourth, fifth and sixth placed finish.

"We're pretty happy overall – we think we put in a better performance than the last few practice races," said Sehested.

"We did a lot of re-grouping after a tough event in Christchurch, and we are really keen to finish strong with a solid event, and end as high as possible in the rankings. But we've still got a lot of work to do on Sunday."

In the opening race of the day, the Danes narrowly avoided a collision with the United States SailGP Team in a dramatic moment that could have seen an early finish for both teams.

"It was pretty full on racing at times, and I think we got away with that one," said Sehested. "For us, Day One is about surviving and staying in the mix – and then we put on the afterburners for Sunday."

The Danes have a clear task on Day Two in order to claim their best ever finish in SailGP – stay ahead of Canada SailGP Team and United States SailGP Team in the event rankings. That would secure the Danes a fifth placed finish for Season 3, progress on their sixth spot of last campaign.

Nicolai Sehested's team went into the weekend with winning momentum having secured the SailGP Impact League trophy in a tight battle with last year's champions, New Zealand SailGP Team.

"We're super happy to take the Impact League trophy this season, which is the result of a lot of work from the whole team. It's impossible to win a competition as tough and unique as the Impact League without the full dedication and commitment of everyone involved, from sailors to shore team and our partners ROCKWOOL and One Ocean Foundation."

He adds: "For us, this is the start. We have a responsibility to take this platform and use it effectively, and we take that seriously. We're already planning what we will do in Season 4 to help raise awareness around important topics such as the health of our ocean."

Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix | San Francisco – Overall Rankings

Australia SailGP Team – 28 pts
Great Britain SailGP Team – 28 pts
New Zealand SailGP Team – 19 pts
Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL – 18 pts
Canada SailGP Team – 18 pts
Switzerland SailGP Team – 16 pts
United States SailGP Team – 15 pts
France SailGP Team – 13 pts
Spain SailGP Team – 7 pts