Drama, penalties, controversy as Tom Slingsby’s Aussies lead SailGP Sydney
Record penalties, flying starts, close calls and cheeky moves - day one of the Sydney SailGP had it all and more. including one very happy Australian team.
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Record penalties, flying starts, close calls, cheeky moves and a looming storm - day one of the Sydney SailGP had it all and more, including one very happy Australian team.
The 100km/h barrier is still intact but Australian skipper Tom Slingsby couldn’t be happier with his first day of racing in a drama packed SailGP Sydney
The day started with sailors sent into shock when record penalties were handed out to three crews involved in collisions, crashes or capsizes in, before and after Friday’s practice sessions.
It ended with more drama for some crews caught up in multiple near misses during the tight racing on Sydney Harbour, a day to forget for the New Zealanders but a memorable one for the Flying Roos who won all but one of the four race starts and two of the four races.
“We are stoked with our day,’’ said Slingsby, who acknowledged the team were in a “purple patch” of success with their starts as a storm loomed in the west and the wind pressure fluctuated throughout the afternoon.
“It doesn’t get much better really. Four races in tough conditions and to come away with four good results, we are extremely happy.
“Getting the starts, that just set us up so well.
“I looked back around the bottom mark a few times and saw eight boats converging, some on port, some on starboard, and I just thought, I don’t know how they are all going to get around that mark. I was super glad I wasn’t back with them.’’
Crewmate Jason Waterhouse, who helped the team to a top speed of 93.06km/h, said the crew had “a good day training yesterday which gave us a lot of confidence coming into the racing.’
“Definitely a lot trickier out here today with this storm coming in from the west - a lot shiftier and puffier,’’ he said.
The defending Sydney SailGP champions now enter the second day of the event on Sunday in the lead after penning a 3-2-1-1 scorecard on home waters in shifty winds.
The anticipated battle between arch rivals Australia and their New Zealand nemesis failed to eventuate with Peter Burling and his team way off the pace with an 8th, 7th and then two 11th places finishes.
Instead it was Great Britain, with Australians Iain Jensen and Luke Parkinson aboard, keeping the Australians honest across the opening day of the third leg of the SailGP World Series.
“If we sail well we are hard to beat,” Spithill proclaimed pre racing. And he was right.
The Australians now lead overall from Great Britain who recorded a 5-1-3-3 on day one and France with a 4-3-8-2 scorecard.
Switzerland are third, Denmark fourth, Spain fifth and Canada sixth.
Earlier things went from bad to worse for the USA team after a spectacular capsize during a transit to the practice racing on Friday which kept them shore bound on Saturday.
Officials severely penalised USA and Germany under rule 57 which docks teams for causing damage to their own or other F50s by reckless sailing.
The USA, badly damaged being towed out to the racing, were docked 12 event points and eight season points while Germany copped a whopping 32 event point penalty and 20 season point docking following incidents between it and Italy and then Brazil in two practice races along with an incident in the transit from the race area which caused damage to the wing.
Brazil also copped an eight event point docking and four season point penalty for an incident with Germany.
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SAILGP SYDNEY DAY ONE WRAP, RESULTS
Race 1: In shifty winds the Swiss won the start and led the fleet for the entire first race of the Sydney SailGP to beat Spain, Australia, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Canada, New Zealand, Italy, Germany and Brazil.
Race 2: The Australians timed the second start to perfection, hitting the line at 60km/h to take an early lead.
Great Britain shadowed them closely before taking the lead on the sixth lap.
Dylan Fletcher’s Great Britain, with Australians Iain Jensen and Luke Parkinson aboard, went on to win the race from Australia with France, Denmark and Brazil next over the line.
Race 3: The Australians won the start of race three at the downwind end and were never bested. Switzerland finished second with Great Britain third and Denmark fourth.
Race 4: Another great start delivered Australia boasting rights early with the Flying Roos going on to take a second win ahead of France, Great Britain, Canada and Spain.
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