Black Foils' bittersweet return to SailGP podium

By Christopher Reive

Ahead of the regatta final in SailGP’s return to Los Angeles, Australian driver Tom Slingsby had an idea of what would decide the event.

The Australians had qualified third, behind New Zealand’s Black Foils in first and NorthStar Canada, in second after a day of light winds saw teams struggle to get on the foils at times.

With the wind getting back up leading into the three-boat shootout, Slingsby noted it wouldn’t be the wind that caused teams to fall off the foils in the final but execution.

It foreshadowed what was to come.

The Black Foils had to settle for second in the regatta after flying off the starting line, falling off the foils several times during the race to lose their hold of the lead to Canada around the halfway point. The Australians had a terrible start but got in a position to challenge the Black Foils for second. The Kiwis, however, were able to hang on to that vital extra point.

“It was great to lead at mark one really comfortably, but it felt like we made a few incorrect decisions around the racetrack and a few things I look back and kick myself on tactically,” Black Foils driver Peter Burling said.

Once the Canadians got into the lead, they shot away from their New Zealand and Australian rivals, executing a perfect race to claim their first win with new driver Giles Scott at the helm.

It was a strong result for the New Zealand team after missing the podium races in the past two events, including an equal worst-ever eighth-placed finish in Sydney last time out.

However, it is one Burling felt was there for the taking.

“It’s a real shame to let someone pass in a final when you lead at mark one. You should win those ones, but we’ll learn a lot from it.”

The Black Foils set themselves up well with an impressive performance on day one of the event, nailing three of their four starts to claim two wins and a second which saw them lead the event after day one.

With lighter winds on day two, the team moved to a configuration that reflected that with four sailors onboard rather than the usual six.

In the three fleet races on day two, the Black Foils had their struggles but showed their ability to navigate sticky situations.

They had to resort to aggressive match racing tactics late in the day’s opening race in their battle for eighth place in a contest that saw few teams spend time on their foils.

A better start in the next race set them up for a better result as the wind appeared to lift, while the final fleet race saw them overcome a poor start to shoot up the fleet and secure their top seed going into the final race.

However, with an all-or-nothing contest to decide the event, it came down to execution and while the Black Foils started superbly, the Canadians were able to stick with them and took full advantage when the Kiwis opened the door for them to snatch the lead.

Although the crew might be disappointed not to have gone on with the job in the final, finishing second saw them move back inside the top three for the season, which is where teams need to be at the last event of the campaign if they want a shot at the season championship.

Despite missing the event final for the first time this season and finishing fourth, Emirates Great Britain maintained their place at the top of the overall standings with 34 points. Australia sit close behind with 32 points, with the Black Foils on 29 heading into next weekend’s regatta in San Francisco.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission