Bonds Flying Roos take first race of SailGP Portsmouth Day 2 as Los Gallos Spain seize the Group A lead

Super Sunday off Portsmouth opened with the breeze back in the late teens of knots and the fleet out on their 18 metre wings, and it was Bonds Flying Roos Australia who made the most of it, leading Group A's fourth race from the first mark to the finish for their first win of the event. Los Gallos Spain chased hard the whole way for second, and the result has turned the group standings on their head. Spain now lead Group A outright, with New Zealand's Black Foils, Northstar Canada and Australia locked in a three way tie for the second qualifying spot with one race of the group stage still to go.

Chaos at the start hands Australia a gift

Brazil, Spain and Denmark all lodged protests in the final minutes before the start, none of which stuck. Right at the gun, New Zealand were penalised for a windward boat failing to keep clear of Los Gallos Spain to leeward, Northstar Canada were called over the line early, and Red Bull Italy were squeezed out at the top of the line and forced to loop back around, a mistake that put them out of the race before it had properly begun.

Bonds Flying Roos Australia had none of those problems. Set up underneath the fleet at the start, they sailed clear away while the rest of the group sorted out their penalties, turning a lucky break at the gun into a lead they would never relinquish.

Spain give chase, Australia hold firm

Los Gallos Spain were the only team who could live with the Australians all day, sitting second at every mark and closing to within a couple of seconds at times, but Tom Slingsby's crew matched them split for split down every leg, denying them clean air whenever they threatened, and held on comfortably in the end. It continued a pattern for Slingsby, whose best results on day one had also come on the back foot, third in races two and three after a fifth in the opener.

Disaster strikes New Zealand at the worst possible time

The Black Foils looked to have the third place they needed, right up until the final gate. Peter Burling's crew came together with ROCKWOOL Racing Denmark on the run to the finish, and were judged to have not given Denmark room at the boundary, a penalty that dropped them two places in an instant, from third to fifth. It was a costly call given how close the group has become, and left the Black Foils to rue a race that had otherwise gone to plan.

Denmark made the most of the opportunity, continuing their improving week with a third place finish, ahead of Northstar Canada in fourth. Mubadala Brazil finished sixth, with Red Bull Italy last after their difficult start.

Race 4 result, Group A

The group is blown wide open

Los Gallos Spain now lead Group A outright on 13 points after four races. One point back, Black Foils New Zealand, Northstar Canada and Bonds Flying Roos Australia are all tied on 12 apiece for the second and final qualifying spot. With one race left in the group stage, every point from here will count, and any one of three teams could be the one to join Spain in Super Sunday's four boat final.