Impact League: Canada knocks New Zealand from top spot with consecutive triumphs in Cádiz and Dubai
9 DECEMBER 2022News
Dubai Sail Grand Prix
New Zealand has been knocked from the top of the Impact League Season 3 leaderboard after Canada won the podium for the planet at the Dubai Sail Grand Prix.
The team's win in Dubai marked its second consecutive win after triumphing in Cádiz and means Canada now sits at the top of the leaderboard with 1,074 points, two ahead of Impact League defending champions New Zealand.
In Dubai, the team was awarded a total of 161 points ahead of Great Britain in second with 157 and Switzerland, which picked up the most improved accolade with 152 points.
Canada claimed maximum points in three out of 10 categories; sustainability, collaboration, and waste and single use plastic. Highlights included identifying Canadian sailor Madeline Gillis at the team's CANFOIL Week development camp and inviting her to take part in training ahead of the event in Dubai.
Over 500 WASZP demos were undertaken as part of the same CANFOIL Week which, the team said, is testament to the foiling development taking place in Canada.
Other highlights saw Great Britain host an event at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club in collaboration with the GREAT Campaign, where a panel including Ben Ainslie and team co-owner Chris Bake discussed how sport can play a pivotal role in the journey to net zero.
Switzerland meanwhile repurposed old branding to make a cover around the debriefing and changing room container to retain the cool air produced by air conditioning.
The total prize money of $25K will be divided between the three top teams and donated to their Race For The Future partners. Canada picks up $13K for its partner Ocean Wise, Great Britain picks up $7K for Protect Our Future and Switzerland wins $5k for the VI Foundation for being the most improved team.
Speaking about the results, Canada CEO Jean-Sébastien Chénier Proteau said: "It takes a full team commitment to win the Impact League. Winning in both Cádiz and Dubai, means a great deal to the team and will certainly make a difference for our Race For The Future partner, Ocean Wise and in our joint efforts to protect and restore our ocean."
As the winning team, Canada is also awarded a Golden Crane Ticket - an on-water advantage that allows the winner of each event to adjust their crane slot assignment to suit their team's schedule and ultimately allow for more time on the water to train.
The Impact League is measured across 10 criteria, including travel and accommodation, food, and diversity, equality and inclusion, which are aligned to SailGP's targets to reduce its carbon footprint by 55%.