Australia lose their ‘Flying’ to Denmark in Race 4 of SailGP Cádiz

Denmark crack the code

Rockwool Racing Denmark, led by Nicolai Sehested, looked untouchable in Race 4. From the congested start, the Danes forced their way into clear air at Mark 1 and never relinquished the lead. Their time of 7:07 was the quickest of the weekend so far, their consistency (two wins and a second) putting them firmly on top of the Cádiz standings.
Commentators hailed it as a “masterclass” — the Danes reading shifts and chop better than anyone else on the course

Emirates GBR steady in second

Emirates GBR, winners of Race 1, again showed poise. Dylan Fletcher’s crew were content to hold second rather than risk costly manoeuvres in the patchy breeze, finishing in 7:52.
It capped a strong opening day for the British, who now sit among the highest scorers with a 1st, 5th, and 2nd across four races.

Black Foils hold firm for third

For New Zealand, Day One ended on a high. Burling’s Black Foils were in the thick of the action throughout, briefly threatening GBR for second before settling into third at 8:11.
After the heartbreak of Race 3’s technical issue, this was a vital result. Blair Tuke’s steadying voice on comms and Leo Takahashi’s foiling control helped New Zealand finish the day inside the top four overall.

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Spain shine, Australia escape

Spain’s Los Gallos kept their regatta alive with a strong fourth (8:47), recovering well after multiple boundary penalties. The crowd in Cádiz roared as the Spanish team surged clear of Australia in the final stages.

For Australia, the comeback was remarkable. Slingsby’s Flying Roos had been deep in the fleet at Mark 1 but carved through the traffic to finish fifth (9:10) — a six-place recovery described as “Harry Houdini mode”.

Penalties sink the rest

The mid-pack was defined by protests and infringements:

• USA (9:56) and Italy (9:59) were steady but never threatening.
• Canada (10:01) suffered repeated fouls, dropping positions.
• Brazil (10:10) couldn’t hold speed.
• Switzerland (10:44) and France (10:56) were undone by penalties.
• Germany (11:08) endured the worst, forced back after failing to give boundary room.

Fleet Race 4 results

1. ROCKWOOL Racing (Denmark), 10 pts
2. Emirates GBR, 9 pts
3. Black Foils, 8 pts
4. Los Gallos (Spain), 7 pts
5. BONDS Flying Roos, 6 pts
6. United States, 5 pts
7. Red Bull Italy, 4 pts
8. NorthStar (Canada), 3 pts
9. Switzerland, 2 pts
10. Mubadala Brazil, 1 pts
11. France, 0 pts
12. Germany by Deutsche Bank, 0 pts

Looking ahead to Day Two

After four races, Denmark are the standout performers of Cádiz, winning twice and finishing second once. Emirates GBR’s consistency makes them the other form team, while New Zealand, after a shaky start, clawed back into contention with two podiums.
Spain and Australia have shown flashes of brilliance but lack consistency. For the USA, Brazil, and Germany, Day One was defined by mistakes and missed opportunities.

Day Two looms as decisive — with Super Sunday points and the event final still to come, the leaderboard is wide open behind Denmark’s Flying Danes.

Overall points at the end of Day One

1. ROCKWOOL Racing (Denmark), 32 pts
2. Emirates GBR, 31 pts
3. Black Foils, 22 pts
4. Germany by Deutsche Bank, 22 pts
5. Switzerland, 21 pts
6. BONDS Flying Roos, 18 pts
7. Los Gallos, 17 pts
8. United States, 13 pts
9. NorthStar (Canada), 13 pts
10. Red Bull Italy, 11 pts
11. Mubadala Brazil, 11 pts
12. France, 9 pts