New Zealand's SailGP campaign on European waters opened with genuine promise on Lake Geneva. Peter Burling's Black Foils made a statement in Race 1, hitting the start line at speed, foiling around the outside of the assembled fleet, and establishing control before the first mark. They crossed the finish in 6:25, 17 seconds ahead of Denmark and 42 seconds clear of Great Britain. It was a polished, commanding display that pointed toward a dominant weekend for the Kiwis.
Fortunes shifted quickly in Race 2. A mark-room infringement involving Germany earned the Black Foils a penalty, pushing them back through the fleet at a moment when positions were hardening. They recovered to fifth by the finish, but any realistic prospect of back-to-back wins had gone. Tom Slingsby's Australia made no such errors. The Flying Roos found clear air, executed crisp foiling through every manoeuvre, and pulled away to take the win. Switzerland delivered the performance of the day behind them, with Sebastien Schneiter's crew finishing second to a roaring home crowd at the first-ever SailGP event held in their country. Great Britain completed the podium with another composed third.
Conditions on Lake Geneva tightened further by Race 3, with ride times dropping below 40% as teams repeatedly lost their foils and wallowed on the flat water. France's Quentin Delapierre read the puzzle better than anyone. His crew got airborne early, held their flight through the tricky transitions, and sailed clear by more than a minute. Canada matched France's top speed of 57.5 km/h to claim second, while Australia again showed their reliability with a third. Great Britain added a fourth to round out an impressively consistent opening day.
For the Black Foils, Race 3 was the inverse of Race 1. Caught in congestion at the start, they never found a lane to recover and finished 11th, their lowest result of the season.
After three races, Australia held the overnight lead on 25 points from a 4–1–3 scoreline. Great Britain's steady accumulation placed them second on 22 points, and Switzerland's inspired home day left them third on 18. Canada's strong showing in Race 3 brought them to fourth with 17 points. The Black Foils sat fifth on 16, close enough that a strong morning could shift things considerably, though they would need to rediscover the form of Race 1 quickly. France's late victory moved them to sixth on 15 points.
Points after three races:
- BONDS Flying Roos – 25 pts - Emirates GBR – 23 pts - Switzerland – 19 pts - Northstar (Canada) – 17 pts - Black Foils (New Zealand) – 16 pts - France – 15 pts - ROCKWOOL Racing (Denmark) – 14 pts - Germany by Deutsche Bank – 12 pts - Los Gallos (Spain) – 12 pts - United States – 7 pts - Red Bull Italy – 3 pts - Mubadala Brazil – 2 pts
Light winds shaped every race on day one, and forecasts suggested more of the same when racing resumed. The new light-air foils and precise manoeuvring will again define who advances and who falls back. For Australia and Great Britain, the priority is protecting what they have built. For Switzerland and France, the challenge is converting single-race momentum into something sustained across a full day. For Burling and the Black Foils, the task is straightforward, if not simple: find Race 1 again, stay out of trouble, and trust their pace on a lake where everything can change in a moment.
