SailGP: Mixed Results for Canada in Germany
Aug 18, 2025
The first European round of the Rolex SailGP Championship took place this weekend in Sassnitz, Germany. Offshore winds gusting to 40 km/hr on day one, combined with the tight racecourse, close to shore made for challenging sailing for the competing teams.
After suffering incredible damage on the practice day, Brazil was unable to race, while the French team (who lost their rudder while flying at 99km/hr) went on to claim their first event win of the season.
With four races on Saturday, the German team impressed the home crowd by winning the opening race while Denmark broke the SailGP speed record hitting 103.93 km/hr in race three. Until this weekend, the record had been held by the Canadians from training on the t-foils in San Francisco in July 2024.
This weekend, the teams were kitted out with high speed rudders and 18M wings, for first time this season. On day one, the NorthStar SailGP Team struggled to get off the start line, placing 10th and 10th in the first two races, but things improved with a fifth in race three and third in race four.
In the final race of day 1, the U.S.A. SailGP Team misjudged a cross with Emirates GBR, smashing their port bow into the side of the British F50, which meant the US could not race today and were docked 12 event points, as well as eight season points.
Going into Sunday, with the three fleet races planned, NorthStar had 16 points on the board and a chance of making the final. Starting was much improved with the Canadians in the leading bunch in the first two races, bringing home 5thand 4th places. The final race proved more challenging, with the team enduring a tough final race to leave them in 8th place overall.
“We had a mixed bag of a day, but ultimately it ended up being a frustrating day for us. We were in contention and that was certainly the case going into the final fleet race today. Making the final, was all on for us. It felt pretty similar to Portsmouth, we ended up at the back end of that middle pack and it wasn’t to be,” said Giles Scott, Driver of the NorthStar SailGP Team.
Joining the team in Germany this weekend was weCANfoil athlete and U19 World Champion in the Waszp, Andrew Chisholm as the team’s intern, as well as Olympian Antonia Lewin-LaFrance who is part of the NorthStar Female Mentor Program, under the tutelage of Head Coach, Joe Glanfield. The team has slipped one place in the season championship to 6th but will be looking to come out of the blocks fast at the France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez on 12-13 September.
