Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL announces crew following New Zealand selection camp

Helmsman Nicolai Sehested leads dynamic new team for SailGP Season 2

ROCKWOOL Group (NASDAQ:ROCK A )

MARSDEN POINT, NEW ZEALAND, January 16, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Denmark SailGP team, presented by ROCKWOOL, announced today the crew for its debut campaign, just over one month ahead of the start of SailGP Season 2.

Helmsman Nicolai Sehested, the youngest helm in the race series, selected the six-man team following a two-week training and selection camp on Bream Bay in New Zealand’s Northland region, where the group had its first taste of the world’s fastest sailboat.

The Danish team consists of five Danes and one Australian: Nicolai Sehested, 30, of Copenhagen (helm); Tom Johnson, 28, of Mandurah, Western Australia (wing trimmer); Rasmus Køstner, 41, of Middelfart (flight controller); Martin Kirketerp, 37, of Aarhus (grinder); Hans-Christian Rosendahl, 23, of Copenhagen (grinder); and Lars-Peter Rosendahl, 23, of Copenhagen (grinder).

As well as containing SailGP’s youngest skipper, the Danish boat also carries the first siblings to compete together at the race series, with twin brothers Lars-Peter and Hans-Christian Rosendahl winning selection.

The Danish team, racing at SailGP for the first time, faces a significant challenge as a late newcomer entry with very limited time to train before the first race. Despite this, the team is getting up to speed quickly, hitting 48.7 knots (90 kilometers per hour) within the first hour of sailing in New Zealand, close to the top speed for the F50 catamaran.

The next stop is Sydney (February 28-29), the first of the global race series where the Denmark SailGP team will compete for the sport’s largest prize of USD 1 million.

Nicolai said: “It was exciting to get our entire team out on the F50 to familiarise ourselves with this incredible boat and to experience the speed it is capable of reaching when a crew works hard and performs well together. Our team brings incredible raw talent to the competition, and we can’t wait for the chance to compete against the best sailors in the world. We are eager to write the next chapter in Denmark’s rich sailing history, and we hope to inspire future generations to get out on the water and try out this amazing sport.”

Mirella Vitale, Senior Vice President at ROCKWOOL, said: “We are exceptionally proud to present a Danish team to SailGP for the first time. This sponsorship provides an excellent platform for ROCKWOOL to further build awareness about sustainability and demonstrate the role that stone wool plays in creating vibrant, future-proofed cities that are built with the health of people and the planet in mind and mitigate the environmental challenges of tomorrow."

“The SailGP series visits the harbours of some of the greatest cities around the globe, cities that face significant sustainability issues and a shared climate change threat. Sailing is a team challenge, as is sustainability and climate change, and requires us all to work together to address. We look forward to meeting people from around the world to discuss these issues, explore solutions, and share our optimism of the future.”

Following Sydney (February 28-29), SailGP heads to San Francisco (May 2-3) and New York (June 12-13), ahead of the first European event of the year in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, UK, (August 14-15). The final season schedule will be announced on February 3.

Mirella Vitale, Sr Vice President
ROCKWOOL Group
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