Emirates GBR beats Spain by 24 seconds in chaotic two-boat New York opener

Strong winds over New York's East River threw the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix into disarray on Saturday, forcing roughly an hour of delays before any racing could begin. Crane operations were suspended in the conditions, and a number of F50s could not be launched at all, with some teams never leaving shore during the session.

SailGP confirmed that the circumstances would restrict Day 1 to just four boats, with participants selected based on where they currently sit in the championship standings. The points on offer were reduced to match the smaller fleet, with three points for a race win and three, two, one, and zero points available across the field.

As things turned out, even four boats proved too optimistic a number. When Race 1 got under way at around 8:33am New Zealand time, only two teams had managed to reach the start line.

Emirates GBR led from the front throughout, crossing three seconds ahead of Los Gallos Spain and holding the advantage at every mark on the eight-mark East River circuit. Spain trimmed the deficit to six seconds at Mark 2, but Emirates GBR extended their lead on the downwind sections. By the finish, Dylan Fletcher's crew had put 24.7 seconds between themselves and their nearest rival, completing the race in just under nine minutes. The highest speed recorded during the race was 97.3 km/h.

The East River's tidal current made mark roundings a significant hazard. Spain ran wide at the bottom mark early in the race and were never able to recover the ground they had lost. Emirates GBR had their own difficulties at Mark 7, where a compound jibe-and-roundup loaded the boat hard, but Luke Parkinson kept things under control and the crew rounded cleanly and carried on.

Australia and USA were reported to be out on the water somewhere behind the course during the race, though neither side made it to the start line.

Sunday's schedule remains unchanged.