NZ SailGP team comes from behind for thrilling win

The New Zealand SailGP Team helmed by Peter Burling on stage celebrating victory on Race Day 2 of the Emirates Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 10th December 2023. Photo: Felix Diemer for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
Photo: Felix Diemer for SailGP

New Zealand have won the latest Sail GP round in a dramatic photo finish in Dubai.

In the winner-takes-all final race the lead changed constantly and finalists New Zealand, Canada and Australia were side by side as they approached the finish fine, with no one sure who had won.

Canada were judged to have crossed the line first but were penalised for incident earlier in the race, handing New Zealand the victory.

New Zealand SailGP Team helmed by Peter Burling, Australia SailGP Team helmed by interim driver Jimmy Spithill and Canada SailGP Team helmed by Phil Robertson cross the finish line in front of the Adrenaline Lounge and the Race Stadium on Race Day 2 of the Emirates Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 10th December 2023. Photo: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
Photo: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP

It was a great result for Peter Burling’s New Zealand team in the most hotly contested final in SailGP history.

“With the collapse of our wing, we feel like we missed two events of the European leg so it’s really hard to get back into the league. I’m proud of the team for getting this wing back up, getting over the incident in Saint-Tropez and carrying on.

“We made a mistake at the start box and stayed at the back but we managed to get to the inside at the bottom and we’re stoked to walk away with a win,” Burling said.

“Foiling into the bottom mark, it was anyone’s game. We had a hard lock on the boat for about 20 seconds trying to make that turn, so it was an amazing job by the crew to pull off a good last jibe and give ourselves a shot.”

New Zealand has jumped from sixth to third in the season standings behind Denmark and leaders Australia.

Wing trimmer Blair Tuke said the finish was too close to call as New Zealand claimed their first final and event win since the season opener in Chicago.

New Zealand SailGP Team helmed by Peter Burling, Australia SailGP Team helmed by interim driver Jimmy Spithill and ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team helmed by Nicolai Sehested in action on Race Day 2 of the Emirates Sail Grand Prix presented by P&O Marinas in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 10th December 2023. Photo: Bob Martin for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
Photo: Bob Martin for SailGP

“It was actually a bit subdued for us at the finish – we didn’t know we’d won at first, but when it was confirmed it was a huge moment for the team.

“This group has had a tough few months with a lot of ups and downs, so to finish off 2023 like this, it’s incredible.”

A decision to race on the 29-metre wing for the first time since Saint-Tropez created added complexity for the teams heading into the day.

“The wing coming down in Saint-Tropez was a really tough moment for the team. Today was our first day back sailing with it, and of course that plays on our minds but we came out and showed how strong we are. This team has a huge amount of grit,” Tuke said.

Phil Robertson’s Canada SailGP team had appeared to have the upper hand heading into the final mark as it surged ahead in front of a sold out Dubai crowd.

However, Robertson was penalised for not providing Australia – driven by Jimmy Spithill who was standing in for regular driver Tom Slingsby – with enough space to get around the final mark, and despite crossing the line first, the victory went to New Zealand, who snuck in at the very last minute.

It was a fitting finish to a drama-filled day on the waters of Mina Rashid.

An event win for the adopted home team, Ben Ainslie’s Emirates GBR, in the opening race of the day meant the Brits were well on their way to booking a place in the final.

However, disaster struck at the beginning of race five and the Brits had to leave the race course early, ending any hope of victory in Dubai.

In an aggressive move, new USA SailGP Team driver Taylor Canfield – two time world match racing tour champion – held out arguably one of the best athletes in the sport at the start. Canfield closed the gap at the end of the startline on the Brits to shut them out and, while Ainslie made it through, he was quickly disqualified by the umpire for the manoeuvre, receiving a similar fate to the Germans the day before.

Ainslie said: “It was a difficult way to end for us. We had a really good first race. The team did a great job and that second start we were in pole position and it was really 50-50 with the USA. They were obviously gunning to try and shut us out and eventually the umpires decided that was the case. It was a really tough call for us because I felt we were sailing really well in the second half of yesterday and today we were going really well with the bigger wing. But that’s sport. Sometimes it’s going to go against you and you just have to take it on the chin.”

SailGP next heads to Abu Dhabi for the seventh event of the season.

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council takes place on 13-14 January.

EMIRATES DUBAI SAIL GRAND PRIX FINAL STANDINGS

1 // New Zealand 10 points

2 // Australia 9 points

3 // Canada 8 points

4 // France 7 points

5 // Emirates GBR 6 points

6 // ROCKWOOL Denmark 5 points

7 // Switzerland 4 points

8 // United States 3 points

9 // Germany 2 points

10 // Spain 1 point

SAILGP SEASON 4 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (after six events)

1 // Australia 52 points

2 // ROCKWOOL Denmark 41 points

3 // New Zealand 40 points

4 // Emirates GBR 38 points

5 // United Stated 35 points

6 // Spain 33 points

7 // Canada 32 points

8 // France 31 points

9 // Switzerland 15 points

10 // Germany 10 points

*Spain SailGP Team docked two points in Season Championship for four-point penalty at Spain Sail Grand Prix | Andalucía-Cádiz

**New Zealand SailGP Team unable to compete in Taranto due to the structural failure of the team’s wingsail at France Sail Grand Prix | Saint-Tropez