SYDNEY — In an exhilarating finale at the SailGP event in Sydney, Britain overcame a challenging race to secure victory against Canada and Australia, thus enhancing their overall lead in the series following strong performances in the initial events of the season.
Australia entered the final as the clear favorite, having triumphed in the previous competition in Auckland and secured three wins out of seven fleet races in Sydney, amassing 63 total points. Britain and Canada were close behind with 51 and 43 points, respectively.
Throughout Sunday’s races, Britain managed one victory but faced difficulties with two seventh-place finishes in the three fleet races of their second day. Meanwhile, Canada surpassed expectations with a second-place finish and two fourths, which propelled them into the finals.
Australia had displayed impressive skill during the event, particularly on the first day, where they clinched two victories out of four races. However, in the final, they encountered a penalty at the start line, which forced them to fall behind both Britain and Canada, from which they could not recover. Britain, on the other hand, launched off the start line with speed and successfully led at the top gate.
In a surprising turn, Canada gained an advantage during leg two, moving past Britain and comfortably leading throughout the second, third, and fourth gates, seemingly in control for a possible win.
Yet, Britain capitalized on a tactical shift near Shark Island, found in the center of the racecourse, allowing them to overtake Canada on the fifth leg and maintain their lead through to the finish line. “I’m absolutely buzzing to get the win,” exclaimed Dylan Fletcher, the driver for England. “We won the start, and despite some mistakes, it was an exhilarating race.”
Giles Scott, the driver for Canada, expressed mixed emotions after the race; while pleased with their overall performance in Sydney, he regretted missing out on the victory in the final moment. “It’s been an amazing day today, and we should be very happy with securing second place,” noted Scott.
Reflecting on their lead during the race, he stated, “I have a few what-ifs. We had a great position with a significant lead for most of the race, but during that critical upwind, the Brits executed well and took advantage of a significant shift on the right side.”
With this victory, Britain now tops the overall series standings with 27 points, holding a slight edge over Australia, which has 24 points. Spain and New Zealand follow with 20 points each. New Zealand showed remarkable improvement after a challenging first day in Sydney, achieving finishes of first, second, and fifth on Sunday.
Looking ahead, the SailGP series will continue with upcoming events in Los Angeles and San Francisco next month, with additional races planned for Brazil in May and New York in June.
The SailGP teams compete in identical 50-foot foiling catamarans capable of remarkable speeds up to 90 km/h (55 mph) due to their innovative foils that allow the boats to “fly” across the water’s surface. While there were expectations for a record-setting 12-boat race in Sydney, only 11 boats participated, as the United States had to withdraw after sustaining damage from a practice session capsize.
