Champagne Taittinger corks were popped in celebration on Sunday after Tom Slingsby skippered his Australian crew to victory at the British leg of the SailGP world championships at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
Australia’s crew became the first in history to break the 50-knot barrier on a sailboat during the contest, which pits America’s Cup winners, Olympic medallists and world champions against each other in identical F50 catamarans.
Bottles of Champagne Taittinger were sprayed from the podium as the crowd at the SailGP Race Village at Egypt Point cheered Slingsby’s victory, with Nathan Outteridge’s Japanese team coming in second and Phil Robertson’s Chinese crew chalking up third spot.
The result leaves Australia at the top of the league table as the boats head to Marseille in France for the final race of the season, where the winner will be crowned with the SailGP championship trophy and a $1 million prize.
Champagne Taittinger has supported the series of races, which have taken place along some of the world’s most famous waterfronts, taking in cities including New York, San Francisco and Sydney.
” Few sights are as exciting as seeing these fantastic catamarans whipping across the top of the waves at such high speeds “
Lynn Murray, marketing director at Hatch Mansfield, Champagne Taittinger’s UK agent, said: “Few sights are as exciting as seeing these fantastic catamarans whipping across the top of the waves at such high speeds. With the vessels being engineered to be identical in every way, it all comes downs down to the skill of the crews, which makes it even more exhilarating to watch”
The boats are fitted with the latest cameras, which makes fans feel like they’re taking part in the race as they watch from the harbour. Champagne Taittinger is used to celebrate some of the landmark occasions in sailing, including the inaugural King’s Cup Regatta in Cowes earlier this month and the long standing Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta in Yarmouth
SailGP brings together teams from Australia, China, France, Japan, the UK and the United States. The competition was launched in 2018 and has its headquarters in London and San Francisco.
