New additions to Canada SailGP Team

Jean-Sébastien Chénier Proteau

Jean-Sébastien Chénier ProteaMontreal, QUE (February 14, 2022) – Canada SailGP Team made two key appointments as the team’s preparations continue in the lead up to the start of Season 3 in Bermuda.

Leading Canada SailGP Team will be incoming CEO Jean-Sébastien Chénier Proteau. An accomplished team manager who hails from Montreal, Jean-Sébastien brings extensive experience in leading professional sailing teams having worked with China SailGP Team, Dongfeng Racing in the around the world Volvo Ocean Race and in his most recent role as Executive Director of Spindrift.

On the water, world match racing champion Phil Robertson (NZL) will be in the driving seat of the Canadian team’s F50. Robertson is renowned for his experience in getting new entrants up to speed on the fast-paced F50 racing championship and is actively building a world-class team of Canadian athletes. Robertson led China SailGP Team to a podium finish in Season 1 and will wrap up Season 2 with the Spanish team next month at the grand final in San Francisco.

“We not only have the ambitious task of building a team from scratch, with little to no experience of this kind in Canada, but we also have the goal to be competitive against the best teams in the world.

The first step for us is to build a solid sailing squad, from there we will develop everyone’s knowledge of foiling and then start to work on the specific skills required to sail an F50. Broad sailing experience is key however; there is nothing out there that can truly prepare you to race an F50. So that is what we’ll be focusing on in the coming months. It’s a very exciting project to be part of,” said Phil Robertson, Driver, Canada SailGP Team.

Founded by lifelong sailor and tech entrepreneur Fred Pye, Canada SailGP Team is the first sporting property of its kind in Canada. A start up in every sense, the team is very focused on building partnerships and a nationwide fanbase.

“With Jean-Sébastien and Phil onboard, the team has strong leadership on and off the water. It’s one of the first key steps of our multi-year plan which aims to inspire a whole new generation of sailors across the country,” said Fred Pye, Owner of Canada SailGP Team.

SailGP’s Season 3, kicking off May 14-15 in Bermuda, promises to be action-packed with events scheduled around the globe, as well as the prospect of an event in Canada in 2023 for Season 4.

Canada SailGP Team, an independent team, is the10th team to join SailGP and will start racing at the beginning of Season 3 in Bermuda. The team and its partners are committed to increasing sailing’s popularity in Canada and establishing a pathway for extraordinary athletes in the sport. The Canadian team is an entrepreneurial start up that is all about passion, purpose and risk-taking, elements that lead to winning.

SailGP Season 2 Championship (after 6 events)
1. Australia, 45 pts
2. United States, 44 pts
3. Japan, 44 pts
4. Great Britain, 40 pts
5. New Zealand, 36 pts
6. Spain, 35 pts
7. Denmark, 33 pts
8. France, 31 pts

Format for 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.
• The season ends with the Grand Final, which includes the Championship Final Race – a winner-takes-all match race for the $1m prize.

SailGP Season 2 Schedule*
April 24-25, 2021 – Bermuda Grand Prix
June 5-6, 2021 – Italy Grand Prix – Taranto
July 17-18, 2021 – Great Britain Grand Prix – Plymouth
August 20-21, 2021 – ROCKWOOL Denmark Grand Prix – Aarhus
September 11-12, 2021 – France Grand Prix – Saint-Tropez
October 9-10, 2021 – Spain Grand Prix – Andalusia
December 17-18, 2021 – Australia Grand Prix – Sydney
January 29-30, 2022 – New Zealand Grand Prix – Christchurch (CANCELLED)
March 26-27, 2022 – United States Grand Prix – San Francisco (Season 2 Grand Final)
*Subject to change

2021-22 Teams, Helm
Australia, Tom Slingsby
Denmark, Nicolai Sehested
France, Quentin Delapierre
Great Britain, Ben Ainslie (alternate – Paul Goodison)
Japan, Nathan Outteridge
New Zealand, Peter Burling (alternate – Arnaud Psarofaghis)
Spain, Jordi Xammar (alternate – Phil Robertson)
United States, Jimmy Spithill

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 with the season culminating with a $1 million winner-takes-all match race.

Source: Canada SailGP Team

Published on February 14th, 2022

SOURCE: https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2022/02/14/new-additions-to-canada-sailgp-team/

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