Team ROCKWOOL Racing hits the water; eyes historic record-attempts
by Jonathan Turner 19 Jun 2020 16:54 BST
Team ROCKWOOL Racing hits Danish waters for the first time © Brian Carlin / ROCKWOOL
Team ROCKWOOL Racing has officially hit the water, kick-starting a unique collaboration between the Denmark SailGP Team athletes and ROCKWOOL that will see a range of activities - including historic record-breaking attempts - across northern Europe this summer.
Taking place in Aarhus, one of Denmark's most famous sailing hubs, the launch event was the first unveiling of the Team ROCKWOOL Racing GC32 boat that the Denmark SailGP Team athletes will train and race on over the coming months in preparation for SailGP Season 2.
"It's really exciting to see the Team ROCKWOOL Racing initiative take shape, and we thank ROCKWOOL for their continued support to make it possible", explains Nicolai Sehested, helmsman of the Denmark SailGP Team.
"It feels good to be back together with the team on the water, and we're already finding our rhythm again. We're confident that we can find some speed and put a few existing records to the test in the coming months."
He adds: "This boat looks fantastic and will really turn heads as we sail around Denmark. Of course, it's not quite the F50 that we race in SailGP - which is the fastest sail racing boat on the planet - but it's quite similar in the way that it foils, and so provides us with a great training platform."
The launch in Aarhus begins a packed programme of training activity for Team ROCKWOOL Racing through 2020, as the athletes get set to compete in Season 2 of SailGP, beginning in San Francisco in April 2021.
Team ROCKWOOL Racing will race the foiling GC32 boat out of both Aarhus and Copenhagen, and will also undertake a series of record attempts, including the Round Fyn record and the famous Round Zealand 'Silver Spinnaker' record - a challenging feat that has been unbeaten for almost a decade.
"Both records will be extremely challenging to beat, and it's important that we have the right conditions, so we're working with a weather window to identify the best time to make the attempts. We'll keep our fans updated as our plans take shape", adds Sehested.
In September, the team will visit Kiel Week in Germany, before heading to Italy to compete in the GC32 Racing Tour event at Lake Garda in October.
"We're very proud to continue our relationship with the Denmark SailGP Team athletes to build this exciting programme of activity in key markets over the coming months", adds Mirella Vitale, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs at ROCKWOOL.
"The rescheduled SailGP calendar gives both ROCKWOOL and the Denmark SailGP Team athletes this valuable opportunity to connect with our many stakeholders and fans around Europe, and better prepare the athletes for what is sure to be a fantastic SailGP season next year. Additionally, we will continue to talk about the importance of sustainability to promote a better indoor and outdoor environment."
Later this summer, Team ROCKWOOL Racing will deliver a series of #ROCKTheBoat Academy sessions - youth-focused training camps to inspire Denmark's future sailing stars - with workshops set to take place in Copenhagen (1-2 August) and Aarhus (15-16 August).
The camps aim to inspire and nurture young Danish sailing talent, whilst promoting the importance of outdoor activities like sailing, in big cities. The sessions are free to join, will be hosted by the Denmark SailGP Team athletes, and are open to young sailors with competitive racing experience in a range of classes, from Moths to 29er/49er/49erFX and windsurfers.
The registration window opens on Tuesday 23 June at 1200 CEST and closes on Friday 10 July at 1700 CEST.
To sign up, or find out more about the #ROCKTheBoat Academy, visit www.rockwoolgroup.com/sailgp/rockwool-racing/rocktheboat-academy