Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND- 18 MARCH, 2023 – The Bledisloe Cup style rivalry
between the New Zealand and Australia teams was on full display on the first day of
racing at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch. The two teams went
head-to-head in three races, with the Kiwis taking the lead over the Aussies.
Set against the iconic backdrop of Whakaraupō, Lyttelton Harbour, thousands of fans
lined the shore to watch the action packed racing, with gusty winds challenging the nine
national teams and their flying F50s.
The desire to beat New Zealand at home is ‘something that’s just in an Aussie’s blood’,
Tom Slingsby commented.
“It’s a huge drive for us to come to New Zealand and beat them on their home turf,
whether it’s rugby, cricket or sailing – for sure there’s extra motivation there,” he said.
The Australians also suffered a mishap during the final fleet race of the day with
seaweed getting caught in the rudder, which cost the Aussies hugely in their overall
points.
The Australia SailGP Team sits in fifth place going into race day two, with only seven
points between them and New Zealand in first place. However, with three more fleet
races to go before the podium final, the competition remains tight, and the Australians
are still in the hunt.
Tom Slingbsy commented on the team’s mixed performance saying: “We are not sailing
that great and usually in those windy conditions we would be charging through the fleet.
The kiwis are sailing better than us, simple as that. We need to reset and come back
firing tomorrow.”
Racing resumes tomorrow, where the podium final will take place with the top three
scoring teams to crown the champion of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix. Fans
can tune in from 1:00PM AEDT to watch the racing live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.
ABOUT SAILGP // SailGP is the world’s most exciting racing on water. The global
championship features national teams battling in short, intense races at iconic stadium-style
venues across the globe. The high-tech, high-speed action features sailing’s best athletes
racing in identical hydrofoiling F50 catamarans, flying at speeds approaching 100 km/h. SailGP
also races for a better future, championing a world powered by nature. Visit SailGP.com for
more information.
CONTACT // Olivia Hogan, Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications, Australia |
ohogan@sailgpaus.com | AUS +61 44895 3992
