SailGP: Day 1 Live – Dubai – The series kicks off with light winds and large sails
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World NZ 23 Nov 02:36 PST
Practice racing in Dubai – Season 1, Event 1 – November 22, 2024 © Jon Buckle/SailGP
Live commentary mark by mark from SailGP Dubai
The start of the races was postponed while waiting for the wind to stabilize. The F50s were competing with 29-meter rigs and had five crew members on board, with wind speeds recorded at 9 km/h.
Race 1:
Mark 1: USA, GER, and AUS took the lead at the start
Mark 2: AUS
Mark 3: USA, AUS, NZL – After rounding the mark, NZL began foiling on Leg 4, but USA still maintained the lead at the cross.
Mark 4: USA (16m 12sec), NZL, SUI.
The boats after the 4th mark – Australia finished 5th but did not complete in time, leading to a countback based on their positions at the previous mark they rounded.
Race 2: The number of crew decreased by one to four. Conditions remained light.
Brazil (on the windward end of the line) and Canada had the best starts.
Mark 1: GER, CAN, SUI, ESP
Mark 2: GER, CAN, NZL, SUI
Finish: GER, CAN, NZL, SUI
