Peter Burling and the New Zealand Black Foils delivered one of the most controlled performances of the weekend in Race 7, leading from the front marker and never surrendering an inch. Their timing through every manoeuvre was precise, their lane choices were clean, and they crossed the finish line more than eight seconds clear of France while posting 100% flight time, a remarkable figure given the variable conditions Portsmouth threw at the fleet.
"That was classic Burling," one commentator noted, pointing to the way New Zealand kept manoeuvres to a minimum, found open water, and stayed on the foils from start to finish. The victory also sealed their place in the event final, where they will line up alongside Emirates GBR and Switzerland.
The battle for that third and final qualifying spot became the real drama of the race. Sebastien Schneiter's Swiss crew went about their task with impressive composure, establishing themselves well at the start and making bold calls early on. The moment that shaped their race came at Gate 2, when the Swiss dived inside France to claim clean air and pull free of the traffic building behind them. After that, their priority was simple: stay close to Australia, cover every move, and give nothing away.
When the Australians split late and pushed hard at the final gate in a last-ditch attempt to force a result, Switzerland absorbed the pressure and rounded cleanly without incident. Multiple protests from the Australian team followed, but umpires found no grounds for penalties, confirming the Swiss had sailed the race exactly as the rules required.
A fourth-place finish proved sufficient. Switzerland has qualified for a SailGP final for the first time in the competition's history.
Tom Slingsby and the Bonds Flying Roos left nothing in reserve. They pushed off the start line near the front of the fleet, made aggressive moves throughout, and gambled on a late split. But small errors earlier in the race, including a poor turn and a loss of flight on one leg, bled away the margin they needed. Australia finished fifth, one position behind the Swiss, when a gap of at least four places was required.
Slingsby, visibly frustrated, could take little consolation from the fact that Emirates GBR also failed to reach the podium in Race 7. The British squad are already qualified, so the result cost them nothing. For Australia, it is the second consecutive event where minor errors at key moments have shut the door on a final berth.
Conditions further back in the fleet made for a turbulent afternoon. Germany had been sailing well before a significant collision near a course marker brought their race undone. Their foil appeared to catch the anchor line of a mark, triggering a dramatic spin and an immediate loss of control that ended any prospect of a competitive finish. Emirates GBR, with nothing riding on the race outcome, kept their heads down, avoided trouble, and came home seventh.
Spain, Brazil, and the United States all found the shifting breeze and unsettled conditions difficult to manage. Penalties and boundary violations were a recurring feature through the mid-fleet, though the umpires worked to keep the racing as fair and as clean as the circumstances allowed.
With Race 7 wrapped up, the Portsmouth event final is set. New Zealand (Black Foils), Emirates GBR, and Switzerland will contest the finish. France, Canada, and Australia are all eliminated, despite showing genuine pace at various points across the weekend. For Switzerland, reaching the final represents a landmark moment in their SailGP campaign. For New Zealand, it confirms the form they have been building steadily throughout the event.
Emirates GBR will carry the support of a home crowd into the final, and that is no small thing. New Zealand, though, arrive with momentum and a race style that has looked close to flawless. Switzerland, having spent years chasing the leading teams, now step into the final with nothing to lose and everything to prove. If the Black Foils can carry the composure and pace they showed in Race 7 through to the final, they will be difficult to beat. On this water, under this pressure, the margin for error is thin for everyone.
