Sailing-Spain surprises SailGP Australian defender Slingsby in warm-up
Sailing-Spain surprises SailGP Australian defender Slingsby in warm-up
By Alexander Smith
LONDON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Australian skipper Tom Slingsby has been stunned by the performance of SailGP newcomers Spain in practice ahead of his crew's title defence, which starts in Sydney Harbour on Friday.
Spain joined the challengers for SailGP's second series when China dropped out late last year, taking on their futuristic F50 foiling catamaran in a race for a $1 million prize in the 2020 edition of sailing's equivalent of Formula One.
"If you'd asked me before if the Spanish would be a contender I'd have said: 'no way'," Slingsby told Reuters by telephone after the first practice races for the craft, which 'fly' above the water on hydrofoils and are powered by 24 metre high 'wing' sails.
"They started really well and were ahead of us. I expected we would be able to sail through them or catch them on the second lap," Slingsby said, adding that the Spanish crew, led by interim helmsman Phil Robertson, had "won the day in practice".
New Zealander Robertson helmed China's entry during the first season of SailGP and is 'driving' the Spanish catamaran while Spaniard Jordi Xammar focuses on his 470 dinghy Olympic campaign in Tokyo alongside Nicolas Rodriguez.
Slingsby said with Spain and Denmark now in the mix and INEOS-backed Ben Ainslie helming the British crew, racing in SailGP's new season will be much tighter.
"The level has risen and the new teams are strong... we will have to figure out new ways to get through," he said, adding that "the starts are going to be much more important".
NO GRID
Seven of the 15 metre catamarans, which hit speeds of more than 50 knots (93 km), will compete in the first event of 2020 on Friday, with five-man teams representing Australia, Britain, Denmark, France, Japan, Spain and the United States.
"This is like being in a Formula One race with no grid positions. Whoever gets the inside spot at the first corner (it) is everything, you can leave guys behind you and get clear," Olympic gold medallist and America's Cup winner Slingsby said.
SailGP's new series represents a test for the evolution of the fledgling event backed by Oracle's billionaire founder Larry Ellison as it seeks to build sponsorship and audiences.
SailGP said this month it had sold a minority stake to sports and entertainment group Endeavor in a deal which it said valued it at $200 million.
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Spain sets sights on SailGP after China jumps ship
Endeavor steps on board SailGP in deal valuing it at $200 mln
Denmark joins sea battle for SailGP's $1 million prize
Ainslie adds SailGP to INEOS Team UK's pursuit of America's Cup
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(Reporting by Alexander Smith; Editing by Ken Ferris)
((alex.smith@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 8983; Reuters
Messaging: alex.smith.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)
亞歷山大史密斯
倫敦，2 月 26 日（路透社）-澳大利亞船長湯姆·斯林斯比（Tom Slingsby）在周五在悉尼海港開始的 SailGP 新手西班牙在實踐中的表現震驚。
當中國去年年底退出時，西班牙加入了 SailGP 第二個系列賽的挑戰者，在 2020 年版的一級方程式帆船中，他們的未來派 F50 挫敗雙體船參加了比賽，獲得 100 萬美元的獎金。
「如果你以前問過我西班牙人是否會是一個競爭者，我會說：'沒辦法'，」Slingsby 在第一次練習這艘船比賽之後，通過電話告訴路透社，該船在水翼上「飛」水翼，並由 24 米高的「翼」帆提供動力。
「他們開始得非常好，領先於我們。我預計我們將能夠通過他們航行或抓住他們在第二圈,「Slingsby 說, 補充說，西班牙船員, 由臨時舵手 Phil Robertson 領導, 曾「贏得了一天的實踐」.
新西蘭人·羅伯遜在國際帆船大獎賽的第一個賽季中擔任中國入境，並正在「駕駛」西班牙雙體船，而西班牙人 Jordi Xammar 則專注於他在東京與尼古拉斯·羅德里格斯一起在東京舉行的 470 艘小艇奧運會活動。
Slingsby 與西班牙和丹麥現在在混合和伊諾斯支持的本·安斯利（Ben Ainslie）統治英國船員，在 SailGP 的新賽季中比賽將更加嚴格。
他說：「水平已經上升，新的球隊很強大... 我們將不得不找出新的方法來通過，」他補充說，「開始將更加重要」。
沒有網格
15 米長的雙體船中，有七艘速度超過 50 節（93 公里），將參加 2020 年週五的第一場賽事，其中有五人隊代表澳洲、英國、丹麥、法國、日本、西班牙和美國。
「這就像在一級方程式賽車比賽中沒有網格位置。誰在第一個拐角處獲得內部位置（它）就是一切，您可以將球員留在身後並清楚起來，」奧運金牌得主和美洲杯冠軍 Slingsby 說。
SailGP 的新系列展示了甲骨文億萬富翁創始人拉里·埃里森（Larry Ellison）支持的新興活動演變的 test，因為它旨在建立贊助商和觀眾。
SailGP 本月表示，它已經向體育和娛樂集團 Endedeor 出售了少數股份，該交易表示價值為 2 億美元。
/>中國跳船後，西班牙將目光投向國際帆船大獎賽
在國際帆船大獎賽上努力採取措施，以 200 萬美元的價格進行評估
丹麥加入海戰爭奪國際帆船大獎賽 100 萬美元獎金
安斯利將國際帆船大獎賽加入 INEOS 英國隊對美洲盃的追求
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（亞歷山大·史密斯報告; 由肯·費里斯編輯）
(alex.smith@thomsonreuters.com；20 7542 8983；路透社)
訊息:alex.smith.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)
譯文內容由第三人軟體翻譯。