Day 3 of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup brought fierce competition as the fleet took to the water for a redo of Race 3. After the first attempt was cancelled due to poor wind conditions, all eyes were on whether the weather would cooperate—and on how the teams would fare with the restart. In particular, Canada, who hadn’t raced in the previous round, now had the chance to join the fray.
The wind remained challenging as the boats lined up, and Australia (AU) jumped the gun with a false start, forcing them to drop to last place. Meanwhile, Canada and Germany failed to make it to the start line, leaving the remaining competitors to battle it out.
As the race began, the Netherlands took an early lead, pulling ahead by 150 metres by the halfway mark on Leg 1. But with winds still inconsistent, the race was far from decided. Sweden stayed close on the Dutch team’s heels, followed by Spain and AU, who trailed further behind.
The Dutch were the first to round Gate 1 at 2 minutes and 55 seconds, with Sweden just 21 seconds behind. As the race progressed into Leg 2, Sweden’s fortunes changed as the Dutch briefly fell off their foils, allowing Sweden to snatch the lead. Australia also faced trouble as they nosedived but managed to stay on their foils, a testament to their skill under pressure.
Leg 3 saw Sweden extend their lead to a massive 300 metres ahead of the second-placed Dutch team. The Swedish crew showcased superb handling of the tricky conditions, maintaining their speed and composure. By the time they rounded the final gate, their lead had grown to an impressive 400 metres.
In the closing stretch, Sweden experienced a slight wobble with a light nosedive but quickly recovered to claim their third consecutive victory of the day with a time of 12:01. The Dutch crossed the line 1 minute and 3 seconds later, followed by Spain, with Australia bringing up the rear after a series of mishaps.
Canada and Germany’s absence from this race meant they lost a crucial opportunity to progress to the semi-finals. With Sweden’s commanding performance, they are solidifying their dominance in the Women’s America’s Cup, echoing the prowess shown by their youth team in Group B.
As the competition heats up, Sweden’s consistency is setting them up as the team to beat, with the semi-finals now just on the horizon.
