Aussies fall short of Dubai Final dreams by a single point as Kiwis clinch their first event win
by Australia SailGP Team 24 Nov 09:37 PST
23-24 November 2024
The Australia SailGP Team, led by Tom Slingsby, alongside the ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team under Nicolai Sehested and the Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team helmed by Martine Grael, practiced with the SailGP F50 catamaran fleet ahead of the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix © Simon Bruty for SailGP
Tom Slingsby’s Australia Team’s aspirations of reaching the Podium Final were dashed, missing out by one critical point. The New Zealand Team emerged victorious in a final race against Emirates GBR (2nd) and the United States (3rd).
The Australia Team was nearly assured of a place in the Podium Final based on their points, needing only a mid-fleet finish in the final qualifying fleet race to secure their spot.
As teams entered the pre-start area, Burling’s New Zealand team seized the chance to box the Australians out at the start, forcing them to the end of the pack before the first mark.
Slingsby reflected on the team’s poor start, stating, “It’s my fault; I just didn’t see the Kiwis coming in on the foil, and by the time we reacted, it was too late.”
Consequently, the Australians struggled to recover their positions in the fleet, with Slingsby noting they “couldn’t find any clear air and got entangled in minor skirmishes.”
The team’s hope of making the final hinged on the last minute of racing, as they needed to overtake Redbull Italy in a thrilling sprint to the finish line to secure the one point required for advancement.
Slingsby remarked, “I was fully aware of the points we needed during the race. It was right there, and we just lost to the Italians by a boat length when we needed to pass them to clinch eighth place and that one point.”
Despite the bitterly disappointing result, the Australians showed strong performance over the weekend, particularly considering it was their season’s opening event with new Wing Trimmer, Chris Draper.
Slingsby commented, “We achieved four top-five finishes and had one disappointing race, so it’s important to focus on the positives. We displayed great flashes of speed, and Chris has been an excellent addition; we are definitely gelling well as a team.”
Fans also enjoyed a performance from American artist Craig David, who entertained with his biggest hits to wrap up an exhilarating race weekend.
The SailGP fleet is now set to move to the Asia Pacific for the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix, scheduled for January 18-19, before returning to the iconic Sydney Harbour for the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix on February 8-9, 2025. Fans can still purchase tickets to support Tom Slingsby and the Australian crew by visiting SailGP.com/Sydney.
