Australia produced a commanding display in uncertain conditions to win Group B of the split fleet racing on Super Sunday at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland, with Tom Slingsby steering Australia across the finish line in 9 minutes 19.994 seconds.
Sweden finished second, crossing 22.8 seconds adrift, while United States recovered after an early setback to claim third. Switzerland, Denmark and Spain rounded out the finishers in that order.
Race 4 required a restart before the fleet got away cleanly at 11.58am. Although the field was reduced to six boats, competition remained intense throughout, with patchy breeze and unpredictable shifts testing every crew across the course.
From the outset, Slingsby took a measured approach aboard Australia, focusing on platform stability and smooth foiling transitions rather than pushing aggressively off the start line. That patience proved well placed. By the time the fleet reached the first set of turns, Australia had assumed control and held it comfortably to the finish.
The most significant early setback fell to United States. The Americans were penalised following a windward and leeward incident with Denmark and, although they fought back strongly after serving the penalty to secure third, the distance surrendered in a six-boat fleet was difficult to fully recover. Every position carries real weight in a reduced-fleet format, making the penalty particularly costly.
Spain's campaign in Auckland has been a difficult one. Technical problems earlier in the season were followed by further validation work in the city on Friday, and the team arrived at Super Sunday hoping for a cleaner run. That did not materialise in Race 4. Unable to feature near the front of the fleet, Spain lost time progressively on each leg before finishing sixth.
Sweden, by contrast, delivered exactly the kind of disciplined, penalty-free racing that pays off in tricky conditions. Maintaining solid boat speed and capitalising where others faltered, the Swedes earned their second place with a composed performance.
The absence of New Zealand and France from this session has altered the competitive dynamics of the day, with the split fleet format reshaping how points and positions are distributed. Australia have looked settled and in control throughout the racing, while Spain will be examining performance data carefully before the next start as the Auckland event moves forward.
