For NorthStar SailGP Team flight controller Billy Gooderham, this weekend’s Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax is more than just another stop on the championship calendar; it’s home.
The Halifax native will race in front of family, friends, and hometown fans as NorthStar arrives at their flagship event carrying their strongest momentum of the season.
The Canadian team secured its first event final in 14 months in New York last month, continuing an encouraging upward trend after a difficult start to the 2026 campaign.
For Gooderham, the timing couldn’t be better.
“With this being the home event, this is one that’s circled on the calendar,” he said.
“It’s important for us to get a result here, so it’s good to know we’re going in the right direction.”
The recent improvement has been hard-earned. NorthStar opened the season below its own expectations, but behind the scenes, the team has continued to refine its performance.
“It’s no secret that we didn’t start off the season the way we wanted to,” Gooderham said.
“All that work behind the scenes is going into it. Bermuda was a mid-fleet event for us, but still a better event, and then to back that up with more progress in New York just shows the amount of work that’s going on behind the scenes.”
While the occasion is special, Gooderham is determined not to let the emotion of racing at home distract from the task at hand.
Despite living just 20 minutes from the racecourse, he’s sticking to the same routines the team follows at every event.
“Even though it is a home event and there are so many family and friends, it’s just business as usual,” he said.
“I live 20 minutes up the road, but I’m still staying in the team hotel. You just try and make sure you’re putting one foot in front of the other, doing the next right thing, and treating it like every other day at work.”
Of course, a strong result this weekend would make the occasion even more memorable. Asked what could make this his best SailGP event yet, Gooderham smiled.
“There’s obviously one thing that could be happening on Sunday afternoon that would make that our best event yet,” alluding to winning the three-team showdown that decides the Grand Prix.
With more than 12,000 spectators expected across the weekend and Canadian interest in SailGP continuing to grow, NorthStar have the chance to deliver a statement performance in front of a home crowd.
And after months of steady progress, Gooderham believes the team is arriving at exactly the right moment.
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