These conditions closely resemble what teams expect this weekend at Waitematā Harbour, although the forecast predicts north-easterly winds. Rain is also on the horizon—though, as is often the case in Auckland, rain forecasts don’t always materialise.
Out on the open waters off Takapuna today, five teams were testing the new titanium T-foils and fine-tuning ship-to-shore systems for the live TV broadcast. Team New Zealand returned to the Village looking pleased with their performance—and they were fast! We spotted the Black Foils, showcasing their new blue and black livery, as they finished their on-water session and re-entered Waitematā Harbour. While watching the Canadian team prepare to lift their boat from the water, we turned back only to find the Black Foils already near our feet. Covering hundreds of metres in less than a minute, their speed was staggering. Later, we learned that New Zealand had achieved the fastest speed during training: a blistering 97.2 km/h.
When we finally caught up with Leo, who grew up sailing on Waitematā Harbour, we asked about the conditions today compared to those in Dubai.
“Yeah, we had different conditions in Dubai; pretty warm weather and then just kind of light hitting puffs. [It’s] completely different here. We had 20-25 knots off Takapuna [today] and really strong, hard-hitting gusts, which is what you get in a southerly here. So, pretty dense, and really hard hitting. You probably saw us coming in and we were getting knocked over quite a bit and it was quite hard to control. But yeah, it was just epic conditions from the moment we got out and the time we got back, the level that we sailed was really different. So, good steps forward and definitely a good warm-up day.”
We also asked Leo about the new T-foils and how they compared to the previous L-foils.
“Yeah, so the L-foils are just different characteristics. The T-foils are more stable and the manoeuvres are a lot bit more easier to control. But when you have a breeze like this, it’s still pretty hard to sail these boats. Definitely a bit more speed and control, but it’s still pretty tricky conditions. I think if we have a little bit less breeze, you’ll see the boats perform a little bit more.”
Tomorrow, more teams will take to the water in similarly strong south-westerlies. Auckland’s conditions will continue to challenge the sailors. If I were a betting person, my money would be on the Black Foils winning the Auckland event—but with sailing, you never know. It’s as much about skill as it is about opportunity.
