SailGP: Six winners from six races as Portsmouth delivers blockbuster opening day

The opening day of the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix delivered everything fans could have hoped for as SailGP’s new group racing format produced one of the most competitive race days of the season.

Thousands of fans packed Portsmouth’s Race Stadium to watch the F50 fleet take on glamour conditions that were as spectacular as they were demanding. Winds of around 30 km/h, gusting even higher, combined with a building Solent chop to push crews to their limits as they raced with 18 m wings, high-speed foils and rudders and six sailors onboard.

SailGP race management’s call to implement group racing paid off, as Portsmouth’s tight racecourse provided the perfect showcase for the format.

Group A produced drama from the very first start. NorthStar made the ideal opening, converting a clean getaway into victory despite pressure from Red Bull Italy and Los Gallos, while season leaders the Bonds Flying Roos endured a difficult opening race after an early nosedive compounded a poor start.

NorthStar looked set to stamp their authority on the day in Group A’s second race, blasting towards mark one at more than 90 km/h before leading comfortably. But in a cruel twist, the Canadians fell off their foils in the closing stages following a tussle with Los Gallos, tumbling to fifth. The Spanish team, winners in Halifax, were more than happy to capitalise on their rivals’ misfortunes, seizing victory ahead of the Black Foils and the Bonds Flying Roos.

The Black Foils responded emphatically in the final Group A race, controlling the fleet from the front to take victory over NorthStar, while the Flying Roos showcased their trademark pace downwind to charge into third. Just one race after winning, Los Gallos could only manage sixth, underlining how little separated the teams throughout the afternoon.

Group B proved just as fiercely contested. The United States SailGP Team edged Artemis SailGP Team in the opening race, while Emirates Great Britain recovered from a poor start to salvage fourth.

Artemis hit back in Group B’s second race with a commanding lights-to-flag victory ahead of Explora Swiss, while the home team suffered a disappointing sixth-place finish to leave their hopes of reaching Sunday’s Final hanging in the balance.

But with the Portsmouth crowd roaring them on, Emirates Great Britain delivered when it mattered most. A perfect start in the final race of the day laid the platform for a wire-to-wire victory, delighting the home fans and keeping their hopes of a Grand Prix win alive.

Earlier in the race, Germany presented by Deutsche Bank narrowly avoided disaster when wing trimmer Kevin Peponnet stumbled while crossing the boat, with the crew preventing what looked set to become a dramatic capsize.

After six races featuring six different winners, the leaderboard reflects just how competitive the fleet has become. Artemis lead overnight on 13 points, with the Black Foils and United States tied on 11 points and NorthStar close behind on 10.