Denmark's Rockwool Racing team had been waiting for a moment like this. In Race 2 of the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Andalucía, they nailed the start, executed precisely at Gate 2, and controlled the race from front to back. Skipper Nicolai Sehested steered his crew through a fractured, chaotic fleet to finish in 7 minutes 58 seconds, claiming a victory that had been a long time coming and giving the team a welcome injection of momentum heading into Season Six.
"This was a brilliant start and a brilliant first manoeuvre," the commentary noted. "They've just done the basics right from there."
The turnaround for New Zealand's Black Foils was equally compelling. Race 1 had been a disaster, with Peter Burling and his crew mired at the back of the fleet, but Race 2 told a very different story. They found open water, kept the boat foiling through the choppy conditions, and worked their way steadily into contention. New flight controller Leo Takahashi was tested hard on what one voice in commentary called the "trickiest track on the circuit," with Blair Tuke offering encouragement throughout. The Kiwis committed to the right-hand side of the course, and the gamble held. They crossed the line in 8 minutes 59 seconds for a second place that kept their season firmly in play.
"It's a massive relief," one commentator said. "After their disastrous first race, they've bounced back strongly."
The crowd packed into Cádiz reserved their loudest roar for the home team. Los Gallos had finished last in Race 1, so Diego Botín's third place in 9:24 was met with something close to jubilation from the Spanish supporters. While other teams overthought their routing choices, Los Gallos held their foils and made the straightforward calls on the left-hand side, earning Spain a podium and keeping them firmly in contention overall.
"Wheels back on the bus," was how the commentary summed up Spain's turnaround.
Further back, Germany by Deutsche Bank held on for fourth in 9:39, continuing what has been an encouraging run through the event. Emirates GBR, who had won Race 1, came across in fifth at 9:52, a result that maintained their strong overall standing. France rounded out the top six, while Mubadala Brazil caught the eye for sheer pace, clocking the highest top speed in the fleet at over 60 km/h, though they could only convert that into seventh overall. NorthStar from Canada, Switzerland, and Red Bull Italy filled out the mid-to-lower placings.
The afternoon was a difficult one for two of the circuit's most decorated programmes. Tom Slingsby's BONDS Flying Roos were unable to find clean air throughout, tangled up in traffic and unable to impose themselves on the race. They finished 11th in 11:55, and at one point Slingsby himself was heard admitting, "I don't know where to go," a phrase that captured just how unsettled the Australian team were on the Cádiz course. The United States had equally little to show for their efforts. Taylor Canfield's crew showed early promise before falling off the foils and fading to last place in 12:44.
With two races now complete, Emirates GBR lead the event on the back of their first and fifth, but the stories of Race 2 belong to Denmark's resurgence and New Zealand's recovery. Spain's podium keeps Los Gallos in the mix, while both Australia and the United States face a considerable challenge if they are to salvage anything meaningful from their weekend in Cádiz. Short chop, light winds, and razor-thin margins have again made the course unforgiving, and no team, regardless of pedigree or ranking, can afford a single lapse in concentration.
Fleet Race 2 results
- Rockwool Racing (Denmark), 10 pts - Black Foils, 9 pts - Los Gallos (Spain), 8 pts - Germany by Deutsche Bank, 7 pts - Emirates GBR, 6 pts - France, 5 pts - Mubadala Brazil, 4 pts - NorthStar (Canada), 3 pts - Switzerland, 2 pts - Red Bull Italy, 1 pts - United States, 0 pts - BONDS Flying Roos, 0 pts
