SailGP teams have practice session ahead of France Sail Grand Prix
by SailGP/Sail-World.com/nz 7 Sep 2023 04:00 BST
7 September 2023
Germany SailGP Team - Saint Tropez during a practice session ahead of the France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez. September 6, 2023 © Ricardo Pinto/SailGP
The first F50s have hit the water in Saint-Tropez to begin training ahead of this weekend’s France Sail Grand Prix.
Germany and Canada were the first two teams to hit the water on September 6, while the United States, Switzerland and France will join Canada and Germany for an extra day of training on Thursday. The full 10-strong fleet will undertake practice racing on Friday, September 8, before racing takes place on September 9-10.
Five fleet races will be contested across Saturday and Sunday, before the three-boat, winner-takes-all Final on Sunday.
Saint-Tropez marks the first of three back-to-back European events and marks the league’s third visit to the city after events in Season 2 & 3.
It comes after Season 3’s event in the city bore witness to Quentin Delapierre’s France setting a new SailGP racing speed record - 99.94 km/h (54kts).
Delapierre’s home team will be eyeing a better result this weekend after a slow start to Season 4, while Australia will be looking to extend its lead at the top of the leaderboard.
Fans will be keeping an eye on Diego Botin’s Spain, which triumphed in LA, while Ben Ainslie’s Emirates GBR will be looking to establish a firm foothold in the season after a lukewarm start.
After Saint-Tropez, fans won’t have long to wait for their next racing fix. The league will remain in Europe for the Rockwool Italy Sail Grand Prix | Taranto on September 23-24.
The France Sail Grand Prix | Saint Tropez will take place on September 9-10, with racing scheduled between 1.30pm- 3pm CEST.