A difficult start, a determined comeback
SailGP’s visit to Sydney delivered everything fans have come to expect from the world’s most competitive foiling series—tight racing, dramatic shifts, and relentless pressure. But for the Black Foils, the opening day on Sydney Harbour was one to forget. Boat issues hampered performance, leading to inconsistent results and leaving the Kiwis on the back foot.
“The boat felt a lot more like it did in the build-up yesterday,” said Burling. “Still not quite sure what happened in the first couple of races, it was super unstable.”
That instability translated into an eighth-place ranking overall heading into the final day—a far cry from the dominant form they displayed in Dubai, where they clinched victory. But with the F50 back at full strength on Sunday, the team wasted no time in proving their potential.
Flying high: Sunday’s turnaround
Sunday’s performance was a stark contrast to Saturday’s struggles. The Black Foils started strong with a second-place finish in the first fleet race, followed by a commanding wire-to-wire win in race two—achieving 100% flight time in the process. The consistency in execution was a clear indication of progress.
“It was really nice to have the boat back at 100% and put together a really solid day,” Burling reflected. “It was good for the team to prove we are going in the right direction for the rest of the season.”
While the final fleet race of the event saw the team finish fifth, the points gained from their earlier successes allowed them to salvage what could have been a disastrous weekend. They now sit level with Spain in fourth place on the championship leaderboard.
Lessons from Sydney and the road ahead
Despite the mixed results, there were clear positives for the team to take from the event. One key takeaway was their improved starts—an area Burling highlighted as a work in progress.
“For us, it was about building through a few things we’ve been working on. It was great to get off the start line really well,” he said.
Flight Controller Leo Takahashi echoed this sentiment, recognising both the progress made and the work still ahead.
“To come out and finish in the top two in those first two races, showing some good fight, felt really good,” said Takahashi. “There’s lots to work on still, so it’s a bittersweet feeling, but I think we made good steps from Auckland and have good foundations to build from.”
The team’s next challenge comes in mid-March when SailGP heads to Los Angeles. With momentum now building, the Kiwis will be keen to put together a complete performance and climb further up the standings.
The Rolex SailGP Sydney leaderboard
- Emirates GBR – 10 points
- Canada – 9 points
- Australia – 8 points
- Rockwool Denmark – 7 points
- Switzerland – 6 points
- France – 5 points
- Spain – 4 points
- New Zealand Black Foils – 3 points
- Red Bull Italy – 2 points
- Mubadala Brazil – 1 point
- Germany Deutsche Bank – 0 points
- United States of America – 0 points
With most of the events remaining in the season, the battle for the championship remains wide open. Can the Black Foils return to winning form in Los Angeles? The competition is only getting fiercer, and every point will count as the season progresses.
