Sassnitz threw everything at the fleet on Saturday, and the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team came away with a new personal best to show for it, if only briefly.
The British F50 hit 104.7km/h during practice laps at the ROCKWOOL Germany Sail Grand Prix, the fastest speed the team has ever recorded. It didn't last as the outright milestone for long. DS Automobiles Team France went quicker still during racing, touching 107.63km/h.
Wing Trimmer Stuart Bithell MBE didn't mince words about the Baltic Sea conditions. "Hectic" was his description, with gusts up to 50km/h whipping up the water and pushing boats to the edge.
"It was windy, gusty and we hit 104.7km/h which is the fastest we've ever done," Bithell said. "It's very similar conditions tomorrow, maybe even a fraction windier, so it could be fruity tomorrow, but we'll be ready."
The 13-strong fleet was split into two groups. Spain, Switzerland, New Zealand, France, Denmark, Italy and Brazil raced in Group A, while Emirates GBR lined up in Group B against Sweden, Canada, USA, Australia and Germany. Three races apiece on Saturday left the Brits with a 5th, a 2nd and a 4th to show for their day.
Starts were the problem. Emirates GBR struggled off the line more than once, but clawed back ground on the water, most notably in race two, where they went from 5th at the start to 2nd by the finish.
Race three was scrappy for almost everyone, apart from the Germans. The home crowd packed the grandstand along the shoreline, and Germany rewarded them with a start nailed to perfection and a bullet that sent the fans wild.
There's still everything to play for. Just three points separate Emirates GBR in fourth from Australia's BONDS Flying Roos at the top, which leaves the Brits with a real shot at moving up when racing resumes.
Driver Dylan Fletcher MBE was upbeat despite the placings. "It was awesome conditions here in Sassnitz and although it's not the exact results we wanted, we came away feeling pretty good about the day," he said. "The team was sailing well, we had some tricky starts but from there we were always punching forward and chipping away. It's very tight on points, so we just need some solid races tomorrow to hopefully make it into that event final."
On the speed record, Fletcher was philosophical. "It was great to see the speed record broken, I thought we might have it for a minute, but the French went and did one better in the last race, but I think there's still plenty more left in the tank on this boat."
Sunday brings two more races per group, then the four-boat, winner-takes-all final. More breeze and flatter water are forecast, so another record could well fall before the weekend is out.
