SailGP Christchurch: Dolphins rule the waves ahead of Tom Slingsby, Peter Burling clash

Dolphins gatecrashed the SailGP Christchurch to do something unusual - stop Aussie skipper Tom Slingsby in his tracks. But it’s not the first time animals have stolen the show in sport.

The crews of Team New Zealand, Team Spain and Team Australia sail in front of the Sydney Opera House during the Sydney SailGP. Picture: SailGP

Dolphins crashed the SailGP Christchurch part on day one to do what the best sailors in the world usually can’t do - stop Aussie skipper Tom Slingsby in his tracks.

Race protocol is for all racing to be delayed or stopped when dolphins and other sea creatures are spotted on SailGP racecourses.

And one particular dolphin who gatecrashed the day one racing made the most of their time in the sun, frolicking around without a care in the world as sailors waited impatiently for them to stop hogging the limelight.

But this oblivious party crasher was reluctant to play ball with the racing at first delayed due to their presence and then cancelled after a couple of hours.

This is not the first time animals - or in this case mammals - have interrupted sport.

An alligator seen during the first round of the Valspar Championship at Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Florida.

Alligators have spoiled many rounds of golf in Florida over the years with a swarm of bees stopping play in a football match in Tazania back in 2019 with numerous players stung.

A kangaroo caused havoc at Bathurst one year and seagulls and magpies also have a penchant for stealing balls of all sizes.

Sharks have stopped surf life saving and surfing events over the years - including the J-Bay classic where world champion Mick Fanning who famously bitten mid-heat in South Africa.

The “dreaded Aussies’’ as they are referred to in commentary, won the Sydney leg of the SailGP series to consolidate their position at the top of the leaderboard heading into Sunday’s

racing.

However the Black Foils team, headed by Peter Burling, won the two events in the lead-up to Sydney and are hot favourites to dominate on home waters when cleared for racing.

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It’s an international series but Australia and New Zealand’s infamous Trans Tasman rivalry is set to reignite in this weekends round of SailGP as two sailors at the centre of an old but very public feud clash in Christchurch.

Tom Slingsby says it’s dangerous to concentrate on just one team but he’s still on high alert for a New Zealand backlash after Australia’s first victory in the SailGP series this season on Sydney Harbour last month.

The Flying Roo skipper also believes these two traditional sporting foes will feature in the three-boat final when the fifth season of SailGP culminates in San Francisco at the end of July.

Christchurch, the ninth event of 13, marks the first time this season the Australian crews go into an event as defending champions after an odd season which has seen them score just one leg win but be on top of the leaderboard for most of the series due to consistency.

Their results are in stark contrast to previous years where the Australians have been nigh on impossible to beat - in some cases cleansweeping race days - in the global sailing series race in foiling F50s.

Australia SailGP Team celebrate their victory with the national flag.

More unusual was a series of poor starts which forced the Australian crew to fight back - at times from last place - to win the Sydney round of the series.

“It was just one of those things. You can have off days,” said skipper Slingsby, who this weekend faces off against New Zealand['s returning skipper Peter Burling who he had a very public bust-up with last season.

“We’ve had a debrief and looked into it. We’ll just go back to basics a bit.

The Australian team in full flight.

“Anytime, you win. It’s great for confidence. We weren’t in a funk. We were sailing well all season and just had one bad result in our nine events.

“People are tougher on us because we are always expected to win and beat at the top all the time.’’

Slingsby said “he would be surprised’’ if people felt the win in Sydney was a one-off.

The crews of Team New Zealand, Team Spain and Team Australia sail in front of the Sydney Opera House during the Sydney SailGP. Picture: SailGP

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“It’s nice to get the win and go in as a series leader and a favourite,’’ he said ahead if the Christchurch racing.

“New Zealand are probably our biggest rivals in the fleet. It should be a great event and we were excited to stop their momentum in Sydney.

“Hopefully we can get our own momentum going now.

“We are both competing for the top spot I imagine.”

An aggressive manoeuvre by Burling in France last year which resulted in Slingsby’s cat nose-crashing off its foils sparked a war of words between the pair, both Olympic champions.

At the time Burling suggested he and other Sail GP skippers could chip in for anger management courses for Slingsby who had plenty to say after the incident. FULL STORY

Slingsby said the pair now spent time in each others company with their wives good friends.

Australian London Olympic 49er gold medallist Nathan Outteridge stepped in for Burling at the last event so he could be with his pregnant wife.

Outteridge will now step in to steer the Swiss team for the next five events of season four.

Read more from AMANDA LULHAM HERE

Originally published as SailGP Christchurch: Dolphins rule the waves ahead of Tom Slingsby, Peter Burling clash