France stay steady to claim Race 3 at SailGP Geneva 2025

France make their move

Race 3 was always going to be about survival. With the afternoon breeze fading on Lake Geneva, boats struggled to find enough pressure to stay airborne. Ride times hovered around 30–40%, and hulls were in the water more often than on the foils.

France, skippered by Quentin Delapierre, judged the conditions perfectly. They picked the clean side of the course at the start, found one of the few pressure lanes available, and lifted onto their foils early. From there, they never looked back.

With smoother boat handling than the rest of the fleet, Delapierre’s crew extended steadily. They crossed the line in 8 minutes 39 seconds, their first win of the Geneva regatta, and a timely boost after a slow start to the day.

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Canada and Australia secure podiums

Canada finally converted their raw pace into points. The NorthStar team hit 57.5 km/h, the fastest speed of the race, and carried it to a clear second place. After an eighth and a sixth earlier in the day, the result moved them into fourth overall.

Behind them, Tom Slingsby’s Flying Roos stayed patient. Australia managed their manoeuvres well, foiled through the key gates, and held on for third. It was enough to confirm their place at the top of the leaderboard overnight.

The fleet led by Switzerland SailGP Team helmed by Sebastien Schneiter ahead of Spain SailGP Team, Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank and Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team on Race Day 1 of the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix held in Geneva, Switzerland Saturday 20 September 2025. Rolex SailGP Championship Event 10 2025 Season. Photo: Jason Ludlow for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP

Great Britain, with Dylan Fletcher at the helm, continued their steady form with fourth place. They may not have shown the outright speed of the leaders, but with three top-four finishes in a row, they end the day second overall.

Black Foils stumble

The biggest shock came from New Zealand. After a brilliant win in Race 1, the Black Foils looked lost in Race 3. A poor start left Peter Burling’s crew in traffic, and in the light air they never found a way back.

With only 17% ride time and a maximum speed of just 37.4 km/h, they were among the slowest boats on the water. The Kiwis eventually limped home 11th, their lowest finish in months, a result that dragged them down to fifth overall.

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Mid-fleet battles

Germany sailed conservatively to claim fifth, while Spain managed sixth despite patchy boat speed. Switzerland, the stars of Race 2, fell to eighth, but still sit third overall thanks to their home-water consistency earlier in the day.

Italy, Brazil and Denmark all finished in the bottom half, caught in wind holes near the shoreline. For the USA it was another day to forget. Taylor Canfield’s crew spent just 6% of the race on the foils, crossing last at a crawl.

Switzerland SailGP Team helmed by Sebastien Schneiter with Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank, Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team and ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team sail towards spectators watching from the grandstand in the race stadium on Race Day 1 of the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix held in Geneva, Switzerland Saturday 20 September 2025. Rolex SailGP Championship Event 10 2025 Season. Photo: Samo Vidic for SailGP. Bring on Day 2

France’s win blew the regatta wide open. With Australia leading on 25 points, GBR close behind on 22, and Switzerland holding third on 18, the fight for places in tomorrow’s final is finely balanced.

The Black Foils remain within striking distance on 16 points, but will need to rediscover their race-one rhythm if they are to make the cut.

Day two will decide everything. If Race 3 proved anything, it’s that in Geneva’s fickle breezes, no lead is ever safe.

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