Black Foils target strong finish to European leg in Geneva

New Zealand's Black Foils enter the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix this weekend seeking to apply lessons from a difficult Valencia outing as the SailGP championship's European swing concludes on Lake Geneva.

The team finished 11th overall in Spain after placing seventh in Group A following a difficult opening day in Valencia, where a penalty for an early start left them eight points adrift of second place. When Sunday's programme was shortened by light winds, they were unable to recover.

"It really feels like we've managed to tidy up a few things that we were struggling with in Valencia," said co-CEO and driver Peter Burling after Friday's practice racing in Geneva.

Light, shifty conditions dominated practice and are forecast to persist. The Black Foils will race with a reduced crew of four athletes, building on their Valencia experience with that configuration. Burling said the team had been working to bridge the gap in the four-up setup. "We've been making sure we do everything we can to bridge that gap and really feel like we're in good shape to be able to put together a good performance this weekend."

The team sits in Group B alongside championship leaders Australia's BONDS Flying Roos, Emirates Great Britain, home team Explora Journeys Swiss, Canada's NorthStar and Red Bull Italy. The top two from each group advance to Sunday's final. With six boats rather than Group A's seven, Burling noted the draw advantage: "That makes a massive difference in this light air, having that one less boat around."

The Black Foils won the opening race on SailGP's first visit to Geneva last year before finishing eighth overall. Germany by Deutsche Bank claimed their maiden victory at that event.

Elsewhere in the fleet, Martine Grael makes a surprise return days after leaving Mubadala Brazil, stepping in to drive for the U.S. SailGP Team after both its regular and reserve drivers were injured. The two-time Olympic champion will race alongside grinder Anna Weis, marking the first time two women have raced together on an F50.

Racing runs 3.30pm–5pm local time Saturday and Sunday (1.30am–3am NZT Sunday–Monday), live on ThreeNow.