Tight racing expected for SailGP’s Los Angeles debut

For the first time in SailGP history, the ten national, rival teams bring heart-stopping, adrenaline-fueled battles to the Port of Los Angeles for a two-day spectacle. The teams descend upon sunny California for the Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix – the second of four United States events over the course of the 12-stop calendar – and the weather conditions are shaping up to be an ideal arena for the world's most exciting racing on water.

The general consensus across all ten drivers at the pre-event press conference is that the biggest challenge to come over the next two days is the size of the race course. Teams will be tasked with maneuvering the tightest race course that has ever been mapped out for a SailGP event as racing takes place in a confined space inside the breakwater.

Peter Burling, New Zealand SailGP Team driver said: "The race course is going to be incredibly tight. In Chicago, we saw the addition of one extra boat on the start line, and combine this with the compact Los Angeles race course, I predict teams will shift around the leaderboard quickly."

Australia SailGP Team driver, Tom Slingsby, echoed Burling's sentiment when he said: "Beautiful conditions are predicted with the forecast including a nice sea-breeze every day, around 15-18 knots, with flat water and warm conditions. It's going to be a tight race track which brings a lot of uncertainty around what to expect. If you have a bad start, it's hard to find overtaking lanes because there's just not that much room so a good start will be crucial."

All eyes are on Jimmy Spithill's United States SailGP Team yet again as racing takes place in home waters for the second event in a row. Last month's event did not go to plan with the team finishing ninth so Spithill really needs a positive result in Los Angeles to move up the leaderboard.

Spithill said: "The focus for the team here in LA will be consistency, avoiding boat handling mistakes and enjoying the day. The great thing about SailGP is that it's brutally honest. Your results will do the talking and we see that here. Mistakes on the water can make a huge difference as to whether teams finish at the top or the bottom of the ladder."

New entrants Germany SailGP Team driven by Erik Heil brought the heat to Chicago and were in the middle of the mix both days, which did not go unnoticed by other, long-established teams.

Spithill said: "I wasn't surprised at all, and with more time and hours I expect them to start moving up to the top of the table."

Heil said: "For us, this tight race course is another level of difficulty. Plus, we have been training in a different configuration for a couple of days. We have no number goals, instead we have goals of keeping the progress as fast as we can."

Nicolai Sehested, driver of the ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team, responded to the most recent news announcing that ROCKWOOL Group will be the official Title Partner of the Italy Sail Grand Prix in late September, the second event of the European tour of Season 4.

He said: "We're super excited about the ROCKWOOL Sail Grand Prix in Taranto, Italy and we're massively grateful to ROCKWOOL. It's not just a sponsorship, it's a culture and it's exciting to see them push it and get involved. We look forward to Italy because last time in Taranto, there were large crowds and we are hoping Italian fans will get behind us as the closest team to Italy."

On the team's start to the season Sehested said: "The level is really high so we need to keep improving and take more risks this season in terms of trying new things and catching up. Our ambition is to be in the Grand Final in San Francisco at the end of the season."

The Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix commences at 4 p.m. local time July 22, and can be seen on CBS Sports in the United States and streamed live on YouTube. For Los Angeles-based fans, a few final tickets are still available for the weekend but are selling fast, head to SailGP.com/Los Angeles for more information. For details on how to watch around the globe visit SailGP.com/watch.