Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

SailGP: BlackFoils equal third on Season Points after Sydney

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com 9 Feb 04:06 PST 10 February 2025
BlackFoild (NZL) team - Race Day 1 - KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix - Sydney, Australia - February 8, 2025 © Bob Martin/SailGP

The BlackFoils had a much stronger performance on the Final day of KPMG Australia SailGP held in Sydney.

Despite finishing 8th on the overall standings in the Sydney regatta, the New Zealand team are in third equal place on the Season points table - level with Spain - both are on 20pts.

Emirates GBR skippered by America's Cup helmsman and Tokyo2020 Gold medalist, Dylan Fletcher, tops the points table on 27pts, with Australia's Flying Roos in second place of 24pts. The BlackFoils won the opening event of Season 5 in Dubai, but didn't make the podium in Auckland, three weeks ago.

Due to issues with their flight control system on Saturday, the BlackFoils only finished two races, putting them well down the points table and giving them only a mathematical chance of making Sunday's Final.

After a slow start, the Kiwis were back in 10th place in the opening stanza of Race 5, however in a potent of what was to happen in other races throughout the day, they made a big recovery by splitting with the fleet and sailing around the back of Shark Island. The bold move pushed them up second - a position they held for the rest of the race.

The Kiwi crew had an end to end win in Race 6.

In the final race of the Qualifying, the BlackFoils were in fifth place for much of the race as Canada and Denmark scrapped to finish fourth. Canada gained the upper hand at the end of the final leg before the finish, to secure the remaining Final berth.

"The boat felt a lot more like it did on the build up yesterday," BlackFoils skipper Peter Burling said after the race. " I'm still not quite sure what happened in the first couple races when we were super unstable. But today it was just so nice to have the boat back at the 100%."

"We put together a really solid day off the back of yesterday. It's just nice settler for the team and kind of proven we're going the right direction. We're looking forward to rest of the season, now."

"Yesterday didn't actually affect things for us, today. I think we're going to really struggle to get the whatever it was, 17 points back to any of the teams that were performing really well out there."

"Obviously Canada, was closest to us, and had a really good day. They should have won the event.

"Today was about, getting out there, and just putting together a really solid day, and trying to build through a few things that we've been working on.

"It's great to get off the start line really well and pick some good shifts around the racetrack."

Related Articles

SailGP: Burling unpicks the Kiwi performance
Peter Burling has unpicked the team's mixed racing performance at home in Auckland New Zealand driver Peter Burling has unpicked the team's mixed racing performance at home in Auckland, which saw the team finish 4th in front of home crowds. Posted on 21 Jan
SailGP: Kiwis 'gutted' by Finals loss
'We really wanted to come away positive here, it definitely hurts' - Peter Burling New Zealand's Black Foils, the Season 4 champions finished third in the 2024 SailGP Grand Final on Sunday, in San Francisco. Instead it was Spain, the third and final qualifer, who took their first SailGP title. Posted on 15 Jul 2024
SailGP: Black Foils excited ahead of Final
The Black Foils kept out of trouble on a gusty Day 1 of SailGP on San Francisco Bay The Black Foils kept out of trouble on a gusty day one of SailGP on San Francisco Bay where Sunday they're set to race the hotly anticipated Season 4 Grand Final. Posted on 14 Jul 2024
SailGP: City by the Bay just over a week away
The most important race of Sail Grand Prix Season 4 is little more than a week away The most important race of Sail Grand Prix Season 4 is little more than a week away and the Black Foils are coming in hot off the back of their win in New York City. Posted on 4 Jul 2024
SailGP: Black Foils win in New York
The Black Foils have taken the big prize in the Big Apple with a win at Mubadala Sail Grand Prix The Black Foils have taken the big prize in the Big Apple with a win at Mubadala Sail Grand Prix New York to claim their 5th event victory of Season 4. Posted on 23 Jun 2024
SailGP: Black Foils survive a demanding Day 1
The Blacks Foils came through a demanding opening day at Mubadala SailGP New York to be third on the The Blacks Foils came through a demanding opening day at Mubadala SailGP New York to be third on the leaderboard after two fleet races on the Hudson River today in front of a sell-out crowd on Governors Island. Posted on 23 Jun 2024
Black Foils head for New York this weekend
The Black Foils go up against their SailGP rivals again this coming weekend on New York harbour 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 Posted on 16 Jun 2024
Black Foils extend their SailGP Season 4 lead
Despite finishing 5th at the Rockwool Canada Sail Grand Prix The Black Foils extended their overall lead in Season 4 despite finishing 5th at the Rockwool Canada Sail Grand Prix after what was a hectic final day of racing in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Posted on 3 Jun 2024
SailGP: Kiwis have a target on their backs
Rival Aussie driver Tom Slingsby conceded New Zealand were “the top team at the moment” New Zealand enters the weekend top of the overall standings, ten points ahead of Australia. Speaking at this morning's pre-event press conference, rival Aussie driver Tom Slingsby conceded New Zealand were “the top team at the moment”. Posted on 1 Jun 2024
SailGP: Kiwis push back at Media Conference
Burling disagrees that the Kiwis were gifted the season lead by an Australian snafu in Christchurch New Zealand driver Peter Burling has disagreed that the Kiwis were gifted the season lead by Australia's Christchurch penalty, arguing ‘we have earned our right to be here'. Posted on 4 May 2024
Selden 2020 - FOOTERSea Sure 2025Switch One Design