SailGP: Day 1 – Dubai – Black Foils lead the scoreboard following a minimal foiling session
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World NZ 23 Nov 02:36 PST
The SailGP fleet in action with the Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team and Canada NorthStar SailGP Team leading during Race Day 1 of the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix – November 23, 2024 © Simon Bruty/SailGP
The America’s Cup champions, who recently defended their title a month prior, sailed steadily, and the Black Foils topped the overnight scoreboard by three points without securing a race win.
Racing was initially delayed as the teams waited for the wind to stabilize. The F50s raced with 29-meter rigs and five crew members, experiencing wind speeds starting from 9 km/h, which increased throughout the day. It was a rare occurrence for a team to achieve foiling.
As expected, the new teams finished at the bottom of the leaderboard, each earning just one point.
Only 11 teams participated, as France opted to withdraw from the event, awaiting their new F50 for the upcoming regatta in Auckland set for mid-January.
The crew changes, which received considerable attention prior to the regatta, appeared to have minimal impact, as the Kiwis, who lost one crew member replaced by someone from ETNZ’s development program, topped the overnight scoreboard.
The USA team, which retained an all-American crew, demonstrated significant improvement by winning the opening race, leading almost from start to finish, and finished tied for second with 14 points on the scoreboard, a noticeable improvement from their typical tenth place in Season 4.
Switzerland, featuring two high-caliber recruits from Alinghi Red Bull Racing Team, captured Race 2, displaying inconsistency in the other two races, joining Germany, Australia, and the USA in a four-way tie for second place. The unsatisfactory performances were mainly due to the challenging conditions and the necessity for crew coordination and communication under pressure.
An impressive moment was delivered by Brazilian skipper Martine Grael during the final stages of Race 3, as the Brazil crew spotted an opening while rounding the last mark and faced a short leg to the finish. The Brazil team accelerated, maneuvered around the outside of the front group, and gained several places to finish with a solid sixth place.
Tomorrow, two races and a Final are anticipated.
Race summaries:
Race 1:
Mark 1: USA, GER, and AUS led at the start
Mark 2: AUS
Mark 3: USA, AUS, NZL – After rounding the mark, NZL foiled on Leg 4, yet the USA still led at the crossing.
Mark 4: USA (16m 12sec), NZL, SUI.
The boats finishing after 4th place – Australia was 5th, did not complete within the required time limit, resulting in a countback based on their previous mark positions.
Race 2:
Crew numbers decreased to four. The conditions remained light. Brazil (at 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
Race 3:
AUS navigated a gap at the start after lagging behind initially.
Finish: AUS, GBR, ESP, CAN, NZL, BRA
