Australia retain SailGP title in dramatic fashion

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Australia celebrate a second SailGP championship win

Tom Slingsby’s Australia SailGP Team were crowned SailGP Season 2 champions after claiming victory over Japan and USA amid dramatic scenes in San Francisco. On a day featuring multiple collisions and a restarted Championship Final Race – after a whale sighting on the course – Slingsby’s team collected the US$1 million prize for winning the season.

In difficult conditions resulting in an unpredictable day of racing, rookie Spanish driver Jordi Xammar crashed into Spithill’s F50 and tore a hole in the back of the USA catamaran. This required Spithill’s team to undertake frantic on-water repairs to get ready for the Grand Final and prematurely ended Spain’s day of racing.

USA and Spain collide

In the next race, France and New Zealand dramatically collided – resulting in four penalty points for Burling despite being the right-of-way boat – as Australia prevailed to win the Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix ahead of Nathan Outteridge’s Japan and Jimmy Spithill’s USA.

The Championship Final Race started with the USA taking the early lead, but the action was abandoned after a whale was sighted on the course and racing was halted for 15 minutes in line with SailGP’s policies to protect marine life.

Australia were worthy winners in San Francisco

Australia dominated after the restarted, managing to find an area of better pressure on the race course. Slingsby’s team opened an early lead and never relinquished it as all teams battled increasingly difficult conditions and patchy wind. Australia crossed the line first, followed by Japan, with the US trailing.

Slingsby said: “More important than the money is that Australia came out on top, and we can call ourselves the best in the world. Money comes and goes, and glory lasts forever. I know that’s a saying, but we really feel it right now.”

USA finished third in front of their home crowd

Spithill was gracious in defeat after a season of highs and lows. “At the end of the day, you really have to credit the Aussies,” said the Australian captain of the US team. “They have been the benchmark team all season and to come back and do it back to back, it’s very impressive. They deserve the win.”

IMPACT LEAGUE

Australia was joined on the winner’s podium by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke’s New Zealand, after they claimed the SailGP’s inaugural Impact League title. Presented by legendary marine biologist Dr Sylvia Earle, the trophy is made from carbon-fibre and depicts the earth balancing precariously on top to represent the fragility of the planet.

New Zealand’s Blair Tuke and Peter Burling with Dr Sylvia Earle

Along with the trophy, co-CEOs Burling and Tuke collected US$100,000 for their Race for the Future Partner, Live Ocean. The money will go towards funding partner research into kelp forests and their potential to sequester carbon.

Burling said: “We’re stoked to win the first Impact League. It’s been a massive team effort from everyone involved, from the shore team, the sailing team, management and our partners.

Racing in the Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix

Tuke added: “Increasing awareness of the vital role a healthy ocean plays in a healthy future has been a massive focus for us this season so it’s awesome that the Impact League victory will enable us to support this important work by the University of Auckland through our partnership with Live Ocean Foundation.”

Ben Ainslie’s Great Britain was second with its Race for the Future partner STEM Crew, while Australia finished third working with Parley for the Oceans. GB and Australia won US$35,000 and US$15,000 respectively for their Race to the Future partners.

Japan finished second in Season 2

Launched in July 2021, the Impact League rewards positive actions and measures teams’ efforts over each event according to 10 criteria, including travel, tech and innovation, single-use plastic and using their voice for good. The results are independently audited and verified after each event.

Season 3 of SailGP will open with the Bermuda Sail Grand Prix on May 14-15 and feature 10 teams following the addition of Switzerland and Canada. Events are also confirmed in Chicago, Plymouth, Copenhagen, Saint-Tropez, Cádiz-Andalucía, Dubai, Christchurch and the final again in San Francisco, with more host venues to be announced.

SailGP Season 2 Championship Final Standings

1. Australia
2. Japan
3. United States
4. Great Britain
5. New Zealand
6. Denmark
7. Spain
8. France

Impact League Leaderboard Final Standings (points)

1. New Zealand (1,246)
2. Great Britain (1,192)
3. Australia (1,161)
4. Spain (1,094)
5. France (1,081)
6. Japan (1,048)
7. United States (1,024)
8. Denmark (967)