Martine Grael and Anna Weis made SailGP history on the opening day of the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix, racing together on the same F50 for the first time as part of a 50 per cent female U.S. crew. It was a fitting milestone for a chaotic day on Lake Geneva, one that saw five different teams win the five races and Explora Swiss claim their first-ever home victory.
Grael's return to the fleet had been confirmed ahead of the event after Taylor Canfield and reserve athlete Harry Melges were ruled out through injury. Saturday marked the first time she and Weis had raced together in competition, a milestone that came just days after Grael's shock exit from the Mubadala Brazil team.
On the water, the story was just as unpredictable.
Winds dropped as low as five km/h at times, leaving plenty of snakes and few ladders as teams tried to find their way through patches of breeze scattered across the lake.
Group B got the action underway, with Explora Swiss looking to impress the thousands of fans packing the shoreline Race Stadium. They couldn't have predicted a worse opening. A poor start relegated them to the back of the pack, a disaster from which they couldn't recover.
First blood went to Canada's NorthStar, with the Black Foils and Italy completing the podium.
Nathan Outteridge then guided Artemis to victory in Group A, finding enough pressure to get the Swedish F50 foiling while much of the fleet struggled to get going. Germany by Deutsche Bank finished second and Los Gallos third.
The United States came home sixth, though the result did little to overshadow the significance of the new Grael-Weis lineup.
The biggest racing moment of the day came next. Seb Schneiter's home team went from worst to first as they dominated the start of Group B's second race and built an unassailable lead.
The sellout crowd erupted as Schneiter and his crew crossed the line for their first-ever win at their home event, cowbells ringing all around the lake.
Denmark's ROCKWOOL Racing then took the second Group A race, with Nicolai Sehested and his crew passing Mubadala Brazil at the final mark. Brazil finished second and DS Automobiles France third.
The Australians responded in the final Group B race, as Tom Slingsby steered the Bonds Flying Roos to their first win of the event.
Emirates GBR finished second after passing Red Bull Italy at the top mark. A late penalty for the Italians dropped them to fourth and handed third to Explora Swiss.
NorthStar, who had won the opening race, finished last, a heavy blow to Giles Scott's crew's hopes of making the Final.
Five races, five different winners. And, for the first time in SailGP, two women raced together on the same F50.
With two more races for each group to come on Sunday, the fight for victory in Geneva is far from settled.
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