Canada succeed in first-ever SailGP tournament win as their Kiwi skipper beats his countrymen and Australia in tight Christchurch decider… with Great Britain and France now set on a collision course for season finale
- Canada edged out New Zealand and Australia to win Christchurch SailGP tournament
- Their skipper Phil Robertson is a Kiwi, so the locals were not completely upset
- Great Britain narrowly overlooked out on the rostrum race, completing fourth total
Canada accomplished their first-ever SailGP tournament win as they edged out house favourites New Zealand and championship leaders Australia in a gripping ultimate race in Christchurch.
Their skipper Phil Robertson hails from New Zealand and was once apologetic to his countrymen as his followed staff with reference to crossed the road in first position.
The consequence however left Australia and New Zealand strongly located to achieve the winner-takes-all grand ultimate race on the final tournament in San Francisco in May.
Which boat joins them in that ultimate will come all the way down to a fight between Great Britain and France within the best of custom.
The French boat of Quentin Delapierre will head to town of the Golden Gate only one solitary level forward of Sir Ben Ainslie’s British team within the total classification – and anyone goes to be left bitterly upset.
Canada claimed victory on the waters of Lyttelton Harbour, edging out New Zealand and Australia in a decent and stressful finale to the weekend’s racing
The Canadian skipper Phil Robertson hails from New Zealand and apologised to the native crowd after frightening the Kiwi staff
The 9 boats in motion on the waters of Lyttelton Harbour on the second one day of racing
Britain loved a constant weekend right here till a sixth-place end within the 5th fleet race, following a sub-par get started, noticed them slip in the back of the Canadians on the leaderboard.
‘We did not do a just right sufficient activity of executing the begins nowadays,’ Ainslie mentioned. ‘We have been in fact in beautiful just right positions entering each begins however did not rather get it proper.
‘We were given wound up with the French in that ultimate get started which did not determine for us. The staff did an excellent activity to tug thru however we did not rather do sufficient to get into the rostrum race, which was once irritating.
‘But with regards to the whole, gaining some extent on France [in the overall standings] was once rather vital heading into San Francisco.’
SailGP’s distinctive layout manner all of the 11-race season will boil all the way down to the general three-boat race in San Francisco, after the nine-strong box is whittled down over the course of the weekend.
‘It has been some time since we received this sort of occasions,’ Ainslie added. ‘We have not received an tournament all season and if there’s a time to do it, it’s going to be within the ultimate.’
Robertson’s Canadian boat went head-to-head with Peter Burling’s Kiwis and a partisan house reinforce on Lyttelton Harbour after Australia lagged in the back of early on.
Despite falling off the foils and additionally selecting up a penalty at one level for straying outdoor the course boundary, the Canadians had extra pace than their competitors.
Having misplaced the general races in Bermuda and Chicago previous within the season, Robertson was once overjoyed to ‘get the monkey off our shoulder’.
Ben Ainslie and the British team narrowly overlooked out on the rostrum race in Christchurch
The British boat in pursuit of Australia (heart) and New Zealand (left) right through a race
Canada’s team spray champagne on their boat after profitable the general race on Sunday
He added: ‘It feels beautiful just right, particularly doing it in New Zealand, my house nation. I’m stoked.
‘It was once beautiful particular for everybody within the staff; we have had some ups and downs, particularly popping out of Sydney, we needed to regroup, as a way to get a win off the again of that, we are beautiful pumped.
‘To get the win in New Zealand is superior and as a just right Canadian would say, “sorry New Zealand!”
The Canadians had squeezed Britain out of the general within the remaining moments of the 5th fleet race of the weekend.
Australia had recovered from a disappointing Saturday to win each fleet races on Sunday and surge into the three-boat ultimate.
It manner the Aussies are conveniently best of the season leaderboard on 84 issues and handiest an absolute crisis in San Francisco will deny them a place within the grand ultimate.
New Zealand loved an excellent weekend right here and are 2nd on 73 issues, seizing upon house merit to near the distance to Australia quite.
But it is the cross-Channel conflict between Britain and France that can give you the maximum intrigue within the ultimate race weekend of the SailGP marketing campaign.
Most in the house crowd have been left upset as Canada edged out New Zealand within the ultimate
The rolling hills of Lyttelton supplied a surprising backdrop to the penultimate race of the yr