SailGP: Black Foils look to learn quickly at SailGP's latest venue
by Ben Mackey - Black Foils 20 Sep 10:29 NZST
Black Foils during a practice session ahead of the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix held in Geneva, Switzerland Friday 19 September © Ricardo Pinto/SailGP
New boat configurations, fresh water and forecast light wind conditions leading to different crew numbers are set to make for a unique weekend as SailGP hits Geneva for the first time.
Teams got their first experience of racing on Lake Geneva in Friday’s split fleet practice racing during which none of the four attempted races were fully completed due to the conditions.
The Black Foils enter the weekend as Rolex SailGP Championship leaders and the team made the most of the available sailing time leading both races in the first fleet when the races were called.
Black Foils Co-CEO and Driver Peter Burling said the entire weekend would be about learning quickly.
“We made some good gains post the German event leading into Saint Tropez and it was pleasing to see those come through on the water to deliver a solid result there. The back to back race weekends build great momentum and I know everyone in our group is really excited to be back racing again on such a short turnaround.”
Burling added that coming to a new venue also added to the buzz around the league across all teams.
“It’s great to be here in Geneva, it’s a beautiful backdrop and it’s really exciting to be taking SailGP to a new group of local fans. We know all the teams will be trying to learn the conditions as quickly as possible to get the most out of the boats and the new boards and rudders.”
The Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix | Geneva starts tomorrow at 03-30pm local time (01-30am Sunday NZT). All the action will be live in New Zealand on ThreeNow and Youtube.