Force 7 Sailing takes on the Halifax SailGP: An experience to remember
Halifax SailGP
SailGP is an international sailing competition with high-speed foiling catamarans: the F50. Teams representing ten different countries compete across the world for the championship title. This year, SailGP added Halifax, Canada, to their list of races for the first time.
June 1-2, 2024, the Halifax Sail Grand Prix unfolded, introducing Canadian fans to witness the incredible 50 ft catamarans in real-time. Tickets to the event sold out within a mere 12 minutes of their launch, highlighting the country's demand and interest in the world-class event.
Force 7 Sailing team lead Finley Nakatsu joined the Canadian SailGP team in early January as an Inspire Careers intern for the Abu Dhabi SailGP. This incredible opportunity opened various doors for the Mechanical Engineering student at Dalhousie. When the Halifax SailGP was announced, Finley was given the opportunity to help run the Inspire program. Finley, alongside fellow Force 7 and SailGP Hype Crew member Anneka Siegel, lead the SailGP Tech Tours. Throughout the week, Finley and Anneka guided tours of the events tech site, showing people of all ages how the F50s function and the work that goes into getting them ready for each event.
“SailGP was a fantastic experience! It was amazing to be able to share my love for, and knowledge about sailing with some many people”
“The Halifax Sail GP event was an amazing experience. I really enjoyed being so close to the boats, and learning about how the events are run”
Hailey Nichols and Jordan Oszlak, Engineering students at Dalhousie University, were selected to participate in the Inspire Waszp program at SailGP. The program aims to promote foiling and creating opportunities for young athletes to take part in a racing program on the SailGP F50 racecourse. Hailey, Jordan and other Canadian sailors enjoyed five days of sailing: 1 training day (May 28th), two qualifying days (May 29th and 30th), and two final days (June 1st and 2nd).
“The Inspire Racing program was a super cool experience. It allowed me to meet multiple SailGP athletes and see an F50 up close. The racing was tons of fun, with some great coaching and a crowd watching every day on the harbour front.”
Force 7 Sailing was also present on the boardwalk next to the Inspire Learning tents, which were run in part by Force 7 members Finley and Anneka. This was a great chance to show off the project to spectators and talk to them about our work.
“The Canada SailGP in Halifax was a great event and it was cool seeing the F50s in person. I had the opportunity to promote F7S to attendees during the weekend. I had tons of interesting conversations with people from all walks of life.”
We were also featured on various platforms to raise awareness of our team's project and goals for a sustainable future. Check out the following features:
NTV News: Mun Students Working at SailGP Race in Halifax
NTV News: Students Showcase Project Design at Grand Prix of Sailing
CBC: “Sail Grand Prix Halifax Waterfront Hour 2” - 4:30 min mark
Check out our social media for further content from the Halifax SailGP
