Please select your home edition
Edition
Switch One Design

SailGP Abu Dhabi: Four boats in top cluster after a light day Day 1

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 14 Jan 2024 00:13 AEDT
Day 1 - Sail GP - Abu Dhabi - January 12, 2024 © Adam Warner/SailGP

Spain, New Zealand, USA and Canada sit at the top of the leaderboard after Day 1 of SailGP Abu Dhabi.

Sailed in light winds of around 5.5kts, none of the 10 boat fleet was able to foil on any leg of the three races sailed.

In all three races a good start was essential, and generally the team which led around Mark 1 went on to win the race - the exception being Race 2, where Spain hung in around the top three, moving through USA on the final leg to take their first of two race wins, and lead the overnight points table.

Emirates Team New Zealand showed the fleet their transoms as they got the edge at the start of Race 1 and crawled away to lead by almost a 400-500mtr leg of the course.

Against the run of play in Race 2 and 3, Spain helmed by European 49er champion, Diego Botin finished 10th and last in Race 1, but undaunted had a hard earned win in the afore-mentioned Race 2, and backed that up by an end to end win in Race 3 - despite a little lead swapping with New Zealand in the mid-race.

The Kiwis were the only other team to win a race, getting an excellent start in Race 1, and nailed first place at the first Mark and were gone. They got caught well back from the start line in Race 2 and fought bravely avoid the ignominy of finishing last - however their efforts were in vain, and after two race they had 11 points and were in the middle of the fleet overall.

The fledgling USA team in just their third regatta was probably the star performer on the day - having a bad first race, like the Spanish but made amends in the last two races post second and third places to lie in third place overall - one point behind the Kiwis and two behind Spain.

Quote of the day came from Taylor Canfield, the US skipper who was probably more at home sailing at displacement speed than the others. "It was very, very light," he said. "Your head was on a swivel."

Phil Robertson had another bad day with the umpiring team, after he had another close encounter with Tom Slingsby (AUS) at the final turning mark. It appeared that Robertson had kept clear. But in a slow decision by the UK based umpire team, Robertson was penalised as he crossed the finish line, losing a second place to the Australians. After the race he politely expressed the view, that while the decision was a surprise, the competitors obviously had to start seeing the racing the same way as the umpires. Good luck with that one.

After the race Robertson said that the Umpires came to him, admitting that a mistake had been made, however the penalty had to stand in terms of the result.

In with a chance at making the Final are France in fifth place with 17pts - 2pts behind Canada and USA. And Australia with Tom Slingsby back on the helm had a good first race, placing second but diced with the Kiwis in Race 2 for last place. They were mid-fleet in Race 3, and are tied on 16pts in sixth and seventh overall with Denmark - with Nathan Outteridge (AUS) on the helm.

The switch-out of Ben Ainslie as helmsman with Giles Scott as helms of Emirates GBR did not pay a dividend, with the Brits being the most consistent team on the day scoring three seventh places. They are tied with Germany on 12pts, and are unlikely to be able to close the gap to make the Final with just two races remaining. For all the talk about stepping off the boat to focus on the America's Cup, it was surprising to see time-scarce Ben Ainslie sitting in the coach booth in Abu Dhabi.

The Swiss team on 9pts will be looking to lift their performance on Sunday.

On the line as much as any of the competitors will be the venue of Abu Dhabi - or rather the weather - running two days in light airs, with big rigs, four crew, and without any competitor foiling is not the greatest way to open their SailGP account. And even more so given that Abu Dhabi has been confirmed as the venue for the Grand Final in Season 5 and beyond.

Related Articles

SailGP: Roger Federer inspires Swiss SailGP team.
Roger Federer joins forces with Switzerland SailGP Team to inspire success One of Switzerland's greatest sporting icons, Roger Federer, features in the newest episode of Racing on the Edge, SailGP's official behind-the-scenes docuseries, produced in partnership with Rolex. Posted on 27 Jun
Rolex SailGP Championship 2026 dates confirmed
Including a return to fan-favorite destination, Auckland SailGP has released further details of forthcoming 2026 Season, including the return of fan-favorite locations, multi-year hosting agreements secured across all regions, and an evolved regional structure to raise the stakes for athletes and fans alike. Posted on 26 Jun
SailGP opens tender process for two new teams
SailGP has confirmed 2026 expansion plans, unveiling details of a tender process to seek investment. SailGP has confirmed 2026 expansion plans, unveiling details of a tender process to seek investment for ownership of two new teams entering the global racing championship next season, alongside available stakes across existing national teams. Posted on 23 Jun
Russell Coutts explains SailGP's investor value
Russell Coutts explains the growth of SailGP and why investors are chasing a slice of the action. SailGP co-founder and CEO Russell Coutts discusses the hard to understand investment, and growth of SailGP. The growth multiples hoped for SailGP have been achieved, on paper, by the same investors in other sports. Posted on 12 Jun
Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix overall
Spain SailGP Team claims second consecutive U.S. win Diego Botin and the Spain SailGP team have punched their way to the top of the Rolex SailGP Championship, taking the win on Sunday in New York. Posted on 9 Jun
SailGP: Spain win in New York - Day 2
Diego Botin's Spanish crew scraped into the Final, and then took their second successive SailGP win. The Spanish crew led by Diego Botin staged a comeback in the last race after losing an 8pt lead to squeeze into the Final, only taking the lead halfway through the three boat Final. Full race replay here. Posted on 9 Jun
SailGP: Spain lead in New York - Day 1
Spain top the leaderboard after the first day of racing in the Mubadala New York Grand Prix Spain top the leaderboard after the first day of racing in the Mubadala New York Grand Prix, after a consistent day's sailing on the murky and rainswept Hudson River. Full replay and leaderboard in this story. Posted on 7 Jun
Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix day 1
Spain overcomes storm clouds, topping the standings Diego Botin's Spain SailGP Team leads the fleet after a stormy and tactical opening day of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix. France, ROCKWOOL Denmark and New Zealand are all hot on his heels for all-important leaderboard points. Posted on 7 Jun
Russell Coutts reports ahead of SailGP New York
The New York Russell Report: Coutts on fleet-wide wing repairs and top picks for New York podium SailGP has returned to New York for the third time ahead of this weekend's Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix on June 7/8. Ahead of racing, SailGP CEO Russell Coutts reveals his behind-the-scenes insight of the fleet. Posted on 7 Jun
SailGP to Kick Off Summer in New York
With this Weekend's Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix An unforgettable weekend of high-speed, close-to-shore racing and world-class entertainment will take place this weekend when the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix takes place in front of the most famous skyline in the world. Posted on 5 Jun
sMRT AIS Man Overboard Beacons AUS / NZBarton Marine Pipe GlandsNorth Sails Loft 57 Podcast