Germany seize light-air win in Race 4 of SailGP Geneva as racing slows to a crawl

A start reshuffled by the wind

With lightning forecast later in the day, racing began 90 minutes early. Brazil, after their pre-race incident, did not start, reducing the fleet to eleven. Conditions were far from ideal. Only 9km/h of breeze swept the course, well short of the mid-20s needed to foil consistently.

Germany judged the lightest of puffs perfectly. Erik Heil’s crew were the first to lift and the only team to sail smoothly to Mark 1. Italy followed, with Rockwool Racing Denmark slotting into third. By contrast, New Zealand’s Black Foils were penalised for crossing the boundary early, and Australia’s Tom Slingsby was shut out at the top of the line by Spain, starting dead last.

A race decided in slow motion

From there, the contest became a procession. Germany held steady on 30km/h (for a short period of time before they too slipped in to the low teens) while most of the fleet wallowed below 20km/h. With every manoeuvre costly in such light air, there were few chances to pass.

- Advertisement, article continues below -

Italy stayed clear in second, while Denmark clung to third. Australia quietly recovered from their disastrous start by sailing the shortest distance to the marks instead of chasing foiling runs. It was patient, pragmatic racing — and in the circumstances, it worked, lifting them from last to mid-fleet.

New Zealand fared worse. After their early penalty, Peter Burling’s crew struggled for pressure, briefly climbing to fourth before slipping back again. Their final surge wasn’t enough to fend off the Americans, who caught a puff on the downwind and crossed in fourth.

Shortened course, tired fleet

With the clock ticking, the organisers cut the course from six legs to four. Germany crossed the shortened line unchallenged, claiming a long-awaited first SailGP win. Italy held second, Denmark finished third, USA took fourth, and New Zealand’s Black Foils limped home fifth — the last boat to finish inside the time limit.

Several other teams, including Spain, France and Switzerland, failed to make it to the line before termination. To be fair, speeds were in the high single digits or low teens – not fast enough to sail. It was a stark reminder that in Geneva’s fickle breeze, fortune depends less on flair and more on simply finding wind.

Four races, four winners

Germany’s victory added yet another twist to the regatta storyline. After four races, each race has produced a different winner — New Zealand, Australia, France, and now Germany. The leaderboard remains tight, with Australia still leading overall but Denmark, New Zealand, and Great Britain all fighting for a place in the three-boat final.

- Advertisement, article continues below -

It may not have been a spectacle of speed, but Race 4 proved that in SailGP, every point matters — even when racing slows to a crawl.

Points

Fleet Race 4 Points

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

Fleet Race Total by end of Race 4

1. BONDS Flying Roos – 30 pts
2. Emirates GBR – 24 pts
3. ROCKWOOL Racing (Denmark) – 23 pts
4. Germany by Deutsche Bank – 22 pts
5. Black Foils (New Zealand) – 22 pts
6. Switzerland – 22 pts
7. France – 17 pts
8. Northstar (Canada) – 17 pts
9. Las Gallos (Spain) – 15 pts
10. United States – 14 pts
11. Red Bull Italy – 12 pts
12. Mubadala Brazil – 2 pts