SailGP's all-time speed record didn't survive the opening day in Sassnitz.
DS Automobiles SailGP Team France blitzed the fleet with a run of 107.63 km/h, smashing the previous mark of 103.93 km/h set by ROCKWOOL Racing on the same stretch of Baltic water last season.
From the shore, the water looked deceptively flat, the kind of surface that gives no hint of what's about to happen underneath the boats.
It wasn't the only record under threat. Denmark's ROCKWOOL also broke the old benchmark, touching 106.79 km/h before losing control and pitching into a violent high-speed nosedive. Los Gallos of Spain weren't far behind, clocking 106.55 km/h of their own.
Six races, two groups, and precious little clean sailing to go with any of it.
Race one went to the Bonds Flying Roos, despite an early scare when Germany by Deutsche Bank and Emirates GBR collided at the pin end and dropped straight to the back of the fleet. The Aussies built a 15-second lead, wobbled off the foils on leg five in a scrappy moment, then recovered to take the win anyway. NorthStar held second, Artemis third. The US will want to forget this one, sliding from second to fourth on the final leg after misjudging the layline.
Race two belonged to the Black Foils.
Explora Swiss had nailed the start, but the Kiwis took control at gate two and never let go, crossing first ahead of Explora Swiss and Red Bull Italy, with a hard-charging DS Team France unable to find a way past. ROCKWOOL got loose after mark one, dropping the board at 90 km/h, and never recovered. Los Gallos, fourth at gate three, picked up a penalty trying to sneak inside the French boat and finished last.
Then came a genuine statement from the Flying Roos in race three. They led from the
