A flawless start to Finals day
Sunday dawned calm but charged with anticipation across Andalucía’s Bay of Cádiz. Overnight, the leaderboard had tightened: Britain were resurgent after a strong Saturday, and New Zealand had rediscovered rhythm following an unsteady opening day. With a fragile sea-breeze forecast, precision promised to matter more than raw pace.
The first start, Race 5, got underway on schedule. Spain’s home team, cheered from packed grandstands, used every metre of the line and burst clear at Mark 1 to claim a crowd-pleasing win. New Zealand chased home for second and Australia settled for third, admitting they were “slower than the Spanish.” The early results compressed the standings and set the tone for a day when nothing came easily.
Spain sails home: Los Gallos win Race 5 in Cádiz as Kiwis chase hard
France fight back
By Race 6 the breeze had softened into the kind of marginal foiling conditions that reward touch and timing. Quentin Delapierre’s France thrived, sailing clean while rivals tripped penalties. Their smooth transitions and patient lay-line calls produced an unflustered wire-to-wire victory, ahead of Germany and the Black Foils.
The light Cádiz breeze rewarded finesse rather than aggression. France had found their groove, while the heavy hitters were forced into riskier plays.
History made
The last fleet race was make-or-break — minutes to decide who’d reach the three-boat Final.
Quite simply Mubadala Brazil took everyone by surprise, came out of seemingly nowhere and won. Unexpected, and brilliant. And historic!
The results from the final fleet race placed Emirates GBR, the Black Foils, and Germany in the Andalucía-Cádiz final.
The Grand Final showdown
The three F50s — Emirates GBR, the Black Foils, and Germany — accelerated from the line for the Grand Final.
Emirates GBR jumped early and took a penalty but recovered instantly, foiling clean down the first reach to reclaim control. Peter Burling’s Black Foils played the long game, staying in phase with subtle shifts, while Erik Heil’s German team — winners at the previous SailGP in Geneva — matched pace with clinical precision.
By the final leg, the three boats were separated by mere seconds. Then came the decisive move. Fletcher’s Emirates GBR claimed right-of-way, forcing the Kiwis to yield or risk penalty. That single tactical call, executed with millimetre accuracy, sealed the race. New Zealand lost momentum for a heartbeat — just long enough for the British to surge ahead.
Final order: Emirates GBR 7:31 · New Zealand 7:36 · Germany 7:37.
Six seconds covered the podium — one of the tightest finishes of the year.
Relief and reflection
Afterwards, Dylan Fletcher called it “the most complete race we’ve sailed all season.” His crew’s calm recovery from that early penalty and their final-leg composure showcased a team maturing under pressure.
For Burling and the Black Foils, second place was bittersweet. They’d fought back from a shaky start to reach the Final, only to be crowded out in the dying metres. Still, the result hauled them back within striking distance of the championship lead.
Now in their second year of competition, Germany’s third place underlined their growing stature in the league. Having won the previous event in Geneva, Heil’s squad reinforced their reputation as one of the most consistent teams on the circuit — no longer newcomers, but genuine title contenders.
Earlier in the day, Martine Grael’s Brazil SailGP Team also impressed, adding another fleet-race win to her growing record and underlining their steady rise through the midfield.
Heading for Abu Dhabi
The Cádiz regatta shaped the Season 5 standings:
- Emirates GBR – 85 pts
- New Zealand – 82 pts
- Australia – 80 pts
With only Abu Dhabi remaining, the championship is still open, at least at the top of the order. Fletcher’s crew hold the advantage, but Burling’s Black Foils and Tom Slingsby’s Australians are close enough to pounce.
Cádiz will be remembered as the reference point — a day when strategy trumped speed, finesse beat fury, and a single right-of-way call decided everything. In SailGP, races are measured in seconds; championships, in moments like this.
