Canada’s Concord Pacific Racing Achieves Milestone at the First Puig Women’s America’s Cup
by Concord Pacific Racing 6 Oct 12:38 PDT
October 6, 2024
Concord Pacific Racing in the Puig Women’s America’s Cup – Day 2, Group B – October 6, 2024 © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup
Canada’s Concord Pacific Racing made a memorable debut today at the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup, displaying impressive moments along with some costly errors.
This event represents the first women’s competition in the 173-year history of the America’s Cup, the oldest international sporting event in the world.
Under the leadership of Royal Vancouver Yacht Club’s Isabella Bertold, the Canadian team demonstrated resilience and tactical acumen, overcoming penalties and difficult conditions to stay competitive throughout the day.
After achieving two solid fourth-place finishes and an exhilarating third-place result in Race 3, Concord Pacific Racing wrapped up the day with a sixth-place finish in the final race. The team is currently positioned in fifth place on the overall leaderboard, trailing third-placed Andoo Team Australia by 11 points, with everything still to play for as they aim to break into the top three on Day 2.
“It was a truly special day for women’s sailing history and for our team to perform on this stage,” said Ali Ten Hove, Concord Pacific Racing’s Port Helm. “We are extremely proud to represent Canada and take a significant step forward for women in sailing. It was incredible to make history with the team.”
Concord Pacific Racing faced a tough start to the day with a restart penalty in their first race, pushing them to the back of the fleet early on. However, the Canadians fought valiantly, trading positions with Artemis Swedish Challenge throughout the race. As they approached the final gate, they narrowed the gap with Australia, but light winds resulted in an early race conclusion, leaving Canada with a fourth-place finish.
Race 2 brought additional excitement, with both Andoo Team Australia and Sail Team BCN receiving penalties for an early start. This momentarily opened a door for Canada, who sailed steadily in the upper half of the fleet. However, light winds and touch-downs hindered their speed, and despite a determined effort, Canada managed a fourth-place finish once more after a tight contest.
Race 3 marked the highlight of the day. Despite starting with a pre-boundary penalty that placed them initially behind, Canada fought their way back through the fleet. With strong tactical choices, they managed to overtake Artemis Swedish Challenge and Team Germany in the closing stages, finishing in third place.
However, the final race of the day was their most challenging. Canada started exceptionally well, briefly capturing second place behind Jajo Team DutchSail, who dominated the day. Unfortunately, a significant touch-down at the top mark caused them to lose momentum. Despite battling back, they couldn’t regain their earlier pace, ultimately crossing the finish line in sixth place.
“I’m optimistic about our performance today,” said Ten Hove. “In the first three races, we struggled initially, but we sailed excellently, moving up through the fleet. We showed strong speed and proved we can be competitive. The last race was the opposite—we started great but couldn’t maintain our speed on the foils, so I’m confident we can combine our strengths tomorrow for a strong performance.”
“It was definitely frustrating—bittersweet in some respects,” shared Concord Pacific Racing Captain and Starboard Helm Isabella Bertold. “We navigated well but made significant mistakes that cost us points. We need to enhance our teamwork and communication, especially in these light and shifting conditions. We showed we have good speed, and we know we can compete, so tomorrow we’ll be targeting wins.”
Reflecting on the day’s importance, Ten Hove expressed, “This is monumental for Canada, and I hope it encourages female sailors to aim high and envision a vast future. The adrenaline and team collaboration—it’s an unforgettable experience, and I’m eagerly anticipating tomorrow.”
Looking forward to Day 2, Ten Hove remarked, “Tomorrow seems to promise light winds again, so we’ll need to be assertive at the starts and concentrate on staying on our foils. If we can align everything, we’re set for a remarkable day together as a team.”
Group B Standings after Fleet Race 4:
1 Jajo Team Dutchsail | 27 points
2 Sail Team BCN | 24 points
3 Andoo Team Australia | 23 points
4 Artemis Swedish Challenge | 21 points
5 Concord Pacific Racing | 12 points
6 Team Germany | 6 points
