Australia wins Chicago SailGP 2022

Chicago, IL (June 19, 2022) – Two-time defending and reigning SailGP champions Australia have once again proved their prowess in the three boat winner-takes-all race, after scraping into the final and emerging triumphant winners in Chicago.

After strong winds prevailed yesterday, race management today needed to move the course away from the spectators to find enough wind further out into Lake Michigan. But as they proved in the season opening event in Bermuda, the Australian team is hard to match.

The victory by the Aussies completed an impressive comeback after a mediocre first day of racing, but a win in the final qualifying race advanced them into the final three shootout against Canada and Great Britain.

Australia began their faultless performance by executing a perfect race start and forcing Great Britain and Canada to follow from the get-go, leaving them free to finish their masterclass of racing in front of Chicago’s skyline stadium. With fewer boats on the course, Australia’s speed edge is notable.

“We came dead last in the fourth race (penultimate qualifying race) and thought our chances of reaching the final, let alone winning it, were over,” said Driver Tom Slingsby. “I thought mathematically it was almost impossible to make the final race. Somehow we turned it around and fortune went our way.”

Elsewhere, Jimmy Spithill’s USA team struggled on the start line throughout the Chicago event, getting their best score in the final qualifying race but finishing second to last overall.

Final Results*
1. Australia, 7-2-3-9-1-(1), 33 points
2. Canada, 4-1-1-2-2-(2), 45 points
3. Great Britain, 2-3-2-3-5-(3), 40 points
4. New Zealand, 1-5-4-5-8, 32 points
5. France, 9-8-6-1-4, 27 points
6. Denmark, 3-4-8-6-7, 27 points
7. Spain, 5-6-5-8-6, 25 points
8. United States, 8-9-7-7-3, 21 points
9. Switzerland, 6-7-9-4-9, 20 points
*The Japan SailGP Team will sit out the first events of the season due to a series of external factors resulting in only nine F50s being available for the start of Season 3.

SailGP information – Chicago details – Season 3 scoreboard – Facebook – How to watch

Season Three Standings (after two events)*
1. Australia, Tom Slingsby – 20 points
2. Canada, Phil Robertson – 17 points
3. Great Britain, Ben Ainslie – 17 points
4. New Zealand, Peter Burling – 12 points
5. Denmark, Nicolai Sehested – 12 points
6. France, Quentin Delapierre – 9 points
7. United States, Jimmy Spithill – 9 points
8. Spain, Jordi Xammar – 8 points
9. Switzerland, Sébastien Schneiter – 4 points
*Japan, Nathan Outteridge: For the events they miss, Japan will receive Regatta Points based on the average of their Regatta Points in the first three regattas in which they compete.

2022-23 SailGP Season 3 Schedule*
May 14-15, 2022 – Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess
June 18-19, 2022 – United States Sail Grand Prix | Chicago at Navy Pier
July 30-31, 2022 – Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Plymouth
August 18-19, 2022 – ROCKWOOL Denmark Sail Grand Prix | Copenhagen
September 9-10, 2022 – France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez
September 23-24, 2022 – Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía – Cádiz
November 11-12, 2022 – Dubai Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas
January 14-15, 2023 – Singapore Sail Grand Prix
February 18-19, 2023 – Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney
March 17-18, 2023 – New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Christchurch
May 6-7, 2023 – United States Sail Grand Prix | San Francisco (Season 3 Grand Final)

Format for 2022-23 SailGP events:
• Teams compete in identical F50 catamarans.
• Each event runs across two days.
• There are three races on each day, totaling six races at each event.
• The opening five fleet races involve every team.
• The final match race pits the three highest ranking teams against each other to be crowned event champion and earn the largest share of the $300,000 prize money to be split among the top three teams.
• The season ends with the Grand Final, which includes the Championship Final Race – a winner-takes-all match race for the $1m prize.

For competition documents, click here.

Established in 2018, SailGP seeks to be an annual, global sports league featuring fan-centric inshore racing in some of the iconic harbors around the globe. Rival national teams compete in identical F50 catamarans for event prize money as the season culminates with a $1 million winner-takes-all match race.

Source: SailGP