Light winds, tight lanes and a penalty-filled session set up a nervous run into Day Two.
A bruising start to the Grand Final weekend
Abu Dhabi delivered fickle sailing conditions for Day One of the SailGP Grand Final. The wind barely hit double digits and often collapsed entirely, leaving the fleet hunting for pressure, not position. In this kind of racing, a clean lane is gold and a single misstep can bury a boat for the whole race.
For the three season leaders — Emirates GBR, New Zealand, and Australia — this opening block was about staying out of trouble. Spain, sitting just outside the qualification cut, needed a breakout moment to keep their season alive. They found it at the end of the day.
Race 1: Denmark settles first in the drifting breeze
Denmark handled the opening race with the calmest hands on the water. They linked what little breeze existed and protected their lanes with tidy manoeuvres. Canada, Brazil and Switzerland also read the conditions well, banking solid early scores.
New Zealand managed a clean enough race to stay in the pack. Emirates GBR and Australia struggled to escape the early congestion and spent much of the race fighting for clear air.
Race 2: Canada stretches out with smart decisions
Race 2 was even slower. Canada made the most of it by nailing their time on distance and holding height when others couldn’t. Italy and New Zealand stayed close but couldn’t match Canada’s exit angles from the early marks.
Several boats carried pre-start penalties that completely undermined their openings. France and Switzerland kept their rhythm mid-fleet, while the USA never quite found the gears they needed.
Race 3: Denmark stay sharp as penalties slam New Zealand
Race 3 came alive with a chaotic Mark 1. Denmark avoided the worst of the congestion and sailed away with the race. Brazil, France and Italy stayed in touch through the long light-air legs.
New Zealand’s race unravelled almost straight away. A traffic-heavy rounding, followed by a sequence of penalties, sent them deep into the order. They clawed back a handful of places late, but the damage was already locked in.
Race 4: Spain grab the moment they needed
Spain seized their chance in the final race. With the wind barely hanging on, they gambled on pressure rather than position and it paid immediately. Once they were free, they held flight when others dropped, opening a gap that lasted to the finish.
It was a crucial result. The win keeps the Spanish campaign alive and tightens the race for a Grand Final place.
New Zealand, meanwhile, ran headfirst into another penalty cycle and crossed in the lower half of the grid. Germany, France, Italy and Canada each put up valuable scores, and Denmark added yet another strong result to cap an impressive day.
The shape of the standings after four races
After a long, slow afternoon, the front of the standings looks like this:
- Emirates GBR take the calm, consistent approach and remain well-positioned
- Australia show speed but lack clean water
- New Zealand have pace but must stop giving away metres in penalty calls
- Spain climb back into realistic contention with their late win
- Canada, France and Denmark produce the kind of results that can matter by the end
- There’s very little breathing room. Light winds compress the field in unusual ways, and every start tomorrow will count.
What Day 2 demands
Three more fleet races remain before the season’s top three face off in the winner-takes-all final. Tomorrow’s job is simple: avoid trouble, and avoid the back of the fleet at all costs.
New Zealand know they have the speed to qualify but will need cleaner mark roundings than they managed today. Spain will arrive fired up and willing to take risks. Denmark may be the quiet threat — steady, tidy, and reading the course well. Canada and France are still in play with their solid scores.
Abu Dhabi hasn’t offered much breeze so far, but it has offered plenty of tension. Tomorrow will decide everything.
