In flat, fickle conditions on New York’s Hudson River, day one of the Mubadala Sail Grand Prix proved one thing: consistency counts for everything.
🔗 Boating New Zealand provide a breakdown of race details for Race 1, Race 2, and Race 3 of the 2025 SailGP New York event.
Spain’s F50 crew were the steadiest hands on the wheel, sailing to a tidy 1st, 4th, and 3rd across three low-wind races to top the leaderboard. But New Zealand delivered the day’s standout performance, recovering from a disastrous second race to utterly dominate the third—crossing the line nearly a minute ahead of the fleet. In marginal foiling weather, it was a masterclass in control from Peter Burling and co.
Coming into the event, Australia, Great Britain, and Spain were the top three in the overall Season 4 standings. Spain solidified their claim to the title with steady racing. Australia, on the other hand, produced a storming Race 2 win but sandwiched it between a 5th and a dismal 10th. Great Britain struggled to get out of second gear all day, finishing 11th, 6th, and 9th. For a team sitting second on the season table, that’s a concern.
New Zealand’s Black Foils started strongly with a 2nd in Race 1 before disaster struck in Race 2, when they fell off their foils at Gate 4 and limped home in 11th. But in the third race, in rain and dying breeze, Burling, Blair Tuke and Liv Mackay hit the front early and never gave it up. They now sit fourth overall—six points off the top—with clear momentum.
France and Denmark are tied on 20 points in the New York event standings. Denmark’s day was mixed (3rd, 8th, 2nd), while France sailed a consistent if unspectacular set (6th, 3rd, 4th). Brazil, meanwhile, impressed with a 2nd and 5th in Races 2 and 3 respectively, matching Australia’s 17 points by the end of the day.
In a fleet this close, where the top six teams are separated by just eight points, the message is simple: you don’t need to win every race—but you can’t afford to implode in any of them. Spain’s consistency keeps them out front. New Zealand’s resilience makes them dangerous. And the former front-runners? They’ll need to reset quickly, or risk being left behind.
The final day of racing in New York is set to decide it all. Flat water, tough currents, and tight margins—just how SailGP should be.
Boating New Zealand provide a breakdown of race details for Race 1, Race 2, and Race 3 of the 2025 SailGP New York event.