A new sailing speed record was set in Germany on the opening day of the SailGP event.
The Denmark team reached 103.93 km/h during the third race, breaking the league’s previous record. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Black Foils ended the day in second place overall after four mixed races.
The racing was fast but tricky, with strong winds and sudden lulls making steering difficult. Each of the four races had a different winner – Germany, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand all claimed victories. Australia was the most consistent team, finishing the day at the top of the leaderboard with an eight-point lead.
The Black Foils struggled with slow starts but often fought their way back through the fleet. They secured a much-needed win in the final race, with skipper Peter Burling saying it was good to “finally get one good one.” Strategist Liv Mackay described the competition as “snakes and ladders,” with positions changing constantly.
Elsewhere, the United States team damaged their boat in a collision with Great Britain, leaving them racing against time to repair it for day two. France managed to return to the water after earlier practice damage, but Brazil was forced to sit out the entire regatta due to a broken boat.
