New Zealand’s Black Foils started strong, having learned the hard lesson that “nailing the start gives you a strong chance to win.” After a thrilling near-win in Race 3, Mubadala Brazil seemed to find their rhythm, pushing the Black Foils to their limits—an incredible sight to witness! However, by Gate 2, the Black Foils settled into second place, trailing the France SailGP team.
Maintaining their momentum, the Black Foils held steady through Gate 3, with the U.S. SailGP team in third behind France and New Zealand. Unfortunately, Mubadala Brazil found themselves caught in another chaotic ‘dog pile’ at Gate 3, losing precious time.
France was powering ahead, building a commanding lead. At this point in the race, with the Black Foils 15 seconds behind, it seemed it would take an extraordinary effort from New Zealand—or a mistake from France—for them to catch up. Meanwhile, the Australian SailGP team was closing in from behind, eager to snatch second place if the Black Foils faltered.
In the end, the France SailGP team crossed the finish line first, securing a well-earned victory. The Black Foils claimed second, narrowly ahead of Australia, with the rest of the fleet not far behind.
This race was a thrilling display of skill – made only more impressive by the very short time that France has had their boat, it arrived just in time for Sydney – and the win was not only a second, it was a good win!
