SailGP: Black Foils head into penultimate regatta for Season 4, this weekend
by Jodie Bakewell-White 17 Jun 2024 00:54 NZST
17 June 2024
Peter Burling, Co-CEO and driver of New Zealand SailGP Team - May 2024 © Ricardo Pinto / SailGP
The Black Foils go up against their SailGP rivals again this coming weekend on New York harbour in front of a stacked race stadium on Governors Island and the iconic Big Apple backdrop for the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix | New York, 22-23 Jun EDT.
This New York event is the 12th stop, and the penultimate, on SailGP’s record 13-event Season 4 calendar.
After racing in Halifax in early June the Black Foils will go into New York at the top of the standings and eleven points clear of the pack. Behind them Spain is now in second after Australia were pushed to third on the overall leaderboard at the Canadian event, however only one point separates them.
With the winner-takes-all US$2M Sail Grand Prix Season 4 Grand Final looming on the calendar (July 14 in San Francisco) and pressure building, Black Foils Driver Peter Burling says the team’s focus is first and foremost on a good performance in New York - "In Halifax we felt frustrated that we’d left points on the race track which ultimately meant we missed the final by one point and we don’t want to let that happen again. In New York we’ll be focussed on executing well to be in the final and give ourselves a chance to win the event. Setting the standard to go into San Francisco and the Grand Final with momentum.”
Recently Halifax’s first SailGP event tested all ten teams with gusty and variable breeze causing chaos on the tight inner-city course and saw Great Britain find form and take the win. Meanwhile top placed teams New Zealand, Australia and Spain all missed the event podium in Canada and will be looking to regain their composure in New York.
New York fans haven’t seen SailGP’s heart-stopping, adrenaline fuelled racing since Season 1 and this year they have the US boat driven by Taylor Canfield to cheer for. Kicking off the first official weekend of summer in the US, tickets to the MUBADALA New York Sail Grand Prix are on sale now and going fast.
Racing will take place between 1630-1800 on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 June EDT (0830hrs NZT), live on ThreeNow with full delayed coverage on Three (linear) at 1630hr.