There was a lot of breakage in the F50 bullets in the SailGP this weekend. The best news is that the sailors were unharmed. Once again it became clear how dangerous the sailing game can be at this level. Tom Slingsby’s Australians won the sailing spectacle in the Andalusian area off Cádiz. They sailed furiously and also benefited from the misadventures of the competition.
SailGP
SailGP
Winners party in front of a large backdrop: America’s Cup winner, Olympic and moth world champion Tom Slingsby and his Australian team celebrate their SailGP victory in Cádiz
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SailGP
SailGP
The Andalusian city of Cádiz promoted and celebrated the SailGP off its own coast across the city. There was a lot of enthusiasm for sailing for the world’s best-cast professional series
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After a spectacular opening day, which the hosting Spaniards had ideally opened with their first race win in the SailGP in front of an enthusiastic crowd, the home team experienced a black Sunday. Eighty minutes before the first start on the final day, Phil Robertson’s team capsized. While the crew got away with the horror, the wing sail of the F50 catamaran was so badly damaged that the Spaniards held the regatta in front of around eleven thousand enthusiastic spectators and the Spanish King Felipe VI. could no longer finish. The kiwi and match race world champion, sailing and fighting under the Spanish flag, Phil Robertson said: “We competed here in Cédiz today with the support of the country and the fans. We thought we could achieve something big and we really enjoyed the windy conditions. It’s going to be a steep path for us from now on, but we’re competitive. So we just have to do our best. “
SailGP
SailGP
The bitter end for the Spanish darlings who appeared self-confidently in front of their home crowd: when their F50 catamaran was erected again after capsizing before the start of the race, the full extent of the damage to the 24-meter-high wing sail was evident
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SailGP
SailGP
No further sailing: The wing sail of the Spanish team was so badly damaged when capsizing before the start of the second day of the race that Phil Robertson and his team were out of the game
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At the end of the two intensive regatta days it was once again the SailGP giants Australia with Tom Slingsby, Great Britain with Sir Ben Ainslie and the USA with Jimmy Spithill who prevailed in the fight for a place in the triple final. The four-time Olympic champion Sir Ben Ainslie and his “Brit Band” won the start. All three foiling catamarans sped across the course in crisp winds when the boat is guided with the Union Jack in the sail. The English enjoyed this until they shared their fate with the Spanish and also capsized. They were also uninjured, but could no longer help shape the final. The capsizing also slowed down the Americans lying behind them through no fault of their own, but the SailGP rules know no mercy. The Australians sailed up and away unmolested, won the Spanish Sail Grand Prix and regained the lead of the season standings, which they had only lost a few weeks ago with the sobering eighth and last place at the SailGP in France.
SailGP
SailGP
As close as in this scene between Australia and Great Britain, it was always on the SailGP course
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Ricardo Pinto for SailGP
Ricardo Pinto for SailGP
The capsizing of the British let their hopes for victory in the final burst
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Spithill’s US crew took second place in the season standings with the same rank at the Spanish summit. The British brought their third place ahead of Cadiz not more than fourth in the season standings, in which Nathan Outterridge and the Japanese team occupy third place. The New Zealand SailGP newcomers Peter Burling and his Kiwis improved with fifth place in Andalusia to the same place in the intermediate classification after six of eight SailGP regattas of the current season. Only one point behind the Spaniards, who unluckily landed on the penultimate range in their home territory, lurk in sixth place ahead of Denmark and France. Even with their new helmsman Quentin Delapierre, the French could not make up any ground at first. The Sail Grand Prix will take place shortly before Christmas on December 17th and 18th in Sydney. The fantastic final for one million US dollars will take place on March 26th and 27th, 2022 in San Francisco.
Here you can find the season ranking and the results of the individual regattas (please click!)
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