NorthStar Canada has won Group B's last race of the day at the ROCKWOOL Germany Sail Grand Prix, and Bonds Flying Roos' second place behind them is enough to send Australia through to Sunday's four-boat final alongside Canada, at the expense of Artemis Sweden and a Germany team that had won the previous two races in a row.
The rain that soaked Saturday and the morning's earlier racing had cleared by the time this one started, sun out and a sold-out crowd of 15,000 watching a breeze that had built to 32km/h. With four teams within a single point of each other at the top of Group B, every position from fifth to first was still mathematically alive going into the race.
Taylor Canfield's US SailGP Team led at the first mark, with Artemis Sweden and Bonds Flying Roos right behind them. Germany started last and had to find a way through the fleet all race. USA's lead didn't last: sailing too wide and too low on the second leg let Sweden through. Emirates GBR ran into trouble of their own at the next gate, catching the wind wrong on the turn and heeling out wide, and finished the weekend without ever threatening the top of the group.
Canada had already pulled clear up the left side of the course, finding pressure the rest of the fleet never got near. Behind them, the real fight was between Sweden and Australia for the position that would decide the second qualifying spot. The sharpest moment came at a crossing between Canada and Australia, where Australia held right of way. Canada came through anyway, close enough that Sweden's Nathan Outteridge called it dangerous over the radio, and Sweden had to keep clear too, losing ground of their own. Chief umpire Craig Mitchell reviewed the incident and ruled there was room; no penalty followed. Sweden never made up that ground, and Australia held second at the finish.
| Pos | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NorthStar Canada | 7:57.6 |
| 2 | Bonds Flying Roos (Australia) | +9.7 |
| 3 | US SailGP Team | +15.0 |
| 4 | Artemis (Sweden) | +21.1 |
| 5 | Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank | +27.3 |
| 6 | Emirates GBR | +37.0 |
*A protest against Sweden earlier in the race was dismissed with no penalty. The crossing incident between NorthStar Canada and Bonds Flying Roos was reviewed by chief umpire Craig Mitchell and no penalty was issued.*
Group B: Canada and Australia through
Canada finish the day on 17 points, Australia on 15. Both go through to Sunday's four-boat final. Sweden, who arrived at this race tied for the group lead on 12 points, finish on 14. Germany, winners of the previous two races in a row, finish on 12. Emirates GBR end the weekend on 9, the US SailGP Team on 8.
Germany's back-to-back wins and Sweden's consistency through the weekend both end one place short of a final berth. Sunday's four-boat final will now be contested by Black Foils NZ, NorthStar Canada, Bonds Flying Roos, and whichever of DS Team France or Los Gallos Spain wins Group A's last race of the day.
