Light winds and relentless penalty calls shaped the closing race of an intense first day in Abu Dhabi.
Race 4 got underway in barely-there breeze that left almost no margin for error at the start line. The pressure was thin enough that any hesitation killed foiling speed almost instantly, and the fleet paid the price. France, Canada and Spain all drew penalties for jumping the gun or infringing at the line, and protest flags were flying before the first mark was reached. The boats crept over the start, hovering on the edge of flight.
Denmark threaded through cleanly and led around Mark 1, with Germany, USA and Australia pushing hard in their wake. New Zealand crossed somewhere in the middle of the fleet, but two consecutive penalty calls landed in quick succession, stalling their race before they had found any rhythm. That early deficit proved difficult to claw back.
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The stretch from Mark 1 to Mark 3 descended into chaos. Penalty calls kept arriving in waves, disrupting any chance of settled racing. Germany were penalised for failing to give Spain sufficient room. Italy and France collected repeated infringements. The USA and Canada were caught up in a series of mark-rounding disputes. Each time a boat peeled off to complete a penalty turn, a puff found the sailors who had stayed patient, and the order reshuffled again.
Brazil emerged at the front approaching Mark 3, finding cleaner water through the middle of the course. Denmark remained in contention, though the left-hand side of the track softened as the breeze continued to ease. France, Italy and Germany were separated by seconds rather than boat lengths. Spain, who had seemed compromised after their start-line drama, read the shifting pressure better than expected and pushed back into the picture.
New Zealand regrouped after their early penalties and worked back into the mid-fleet group, but the timing damage done at the start meant they were always in pursuit rather than able to dictate terms.
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Switzerland's victory came down to one advantage they had that no other top-five boat enjoyed. On the final upwind they were the only boat with open water and a clear lane. They stayed airborne on the lightest of pressure shifts, rounded the mark without incident, and carried their speed through to the finish. Denmark came home second after a composed, tidy performance in the fading conditions. Brazil took third.
Great Britain and Australia crossed within seconds of each other in fourth and fifth. New Zealand, Italy and France arrived in a tight cluster, with the Kiwis unable to find enough breeze to push further up the order. Spain fell away in the closing stages as the wind thinned on their side of the course. The USA endured yet another race marked by infringements and unfavourable lanes.
Four races completed. Day Two racing gets underway tomorrow, here in Abu Dhabi.
For New Zealand, eighth place in Race 4 stings, but the campaign is far from over. Three more fleet races follow before the season-deciding final, and the Black Foils, Emirates GBR and Australia are all heading into the second day knowing that clean starts and fewer penalties will be the difference between holding their ground and falling further back.
Race points: Switzerland 10pts, Denmark 9pts, Brazil 8pts, Great Britain 7pts, Australia 6pts, New Zealand 5pts, Italy 4pts, France 3pts, Canada 2pts, Germany 1pt, Spain 0pts, USA 0pts.
Event standings: Denmark 37pts, Switzerland 29pts, Brazil 22pts, Italy 22pts, USA 20pts, Canada 16pts, Germany 16pts, New Zealand 15pts, France 13pts, Great Britain 11pts, Australia 11pts, Spain 8pts.
