Wind, patience, and a race worth waiting for
Lake Geneva rarely makes life easy for SailGP, and the 2025 Geneva stop proved no different. Breeze was the scarcest commodity all weekend, with wind readings stubbornly sitting in single digits and pushing crews into displacement sailing for long stretches. Rather than skimming above the water on foils at the speeds SailGP is known for, hulls sat buried in the lake as teams hunted for any pressure they could find.
Three races on day one crept by at a sluggish pace. The first race of day two followed suit before race officers called a halt, and the fleet sat idle through a lengthy postponement. Then, late in the afternoon, enough wind filled in across the course to send the boats out for Race 5. What followed was worth the wait, even if the speeds remained modest.
The fifth fleet race was barely underway before the umpires were flat out. Italy, France, New Zealand and, later, Australia all received penalties for failing to give adequate mark room on the opening legs. Canada and Denmark lodged repeated protests, and calls were coming at a near-relentless pace as the tightly packed fleet scrapped over narrow lanes of pressure.
Spain chose a different path. Jordi Xammar and the Los Gallos crew read the conditions early, gybed away from the congestion, and tracked down a pocket of breeze that no other team had been willing to chase. With clean air in hand and rivals tangled in penalty chaos behind them, Spain built a lead that proved unassailable.
The disorder behind them only deepened. France had accumulated a double penalty before the midway point. New Zealand, already struggling to find pace in the light air, collected a penalty of their own after shutting out Canada at the first gate. The Black Foils never found a way back into contention from that point.
For Burling's team, Race 5 became a race to forget. Penalties at key moments compounded what was already a difficult regatta, and New Zealand slid steadily down the order before finishing 11th. Geneva exposed real vulnerabilities in the Black Foils' light-air game, and with the season moving into its second half, the pressure on their campaign is mounting.
At the front, Spain were composed. The Los Gallos crew managed their lead cleanly through the closing stages and crossed the finish line in nine minutes and 40 seconds. For Xammar, the win provided a welcome boost after a regatta that had largely seen his team buried in the middle of the fleet.
The result that drew the loudest reaction, though, belonged to Switzerland. Sebastien Schneiter's team, racing in front of a home crowd, produced their strongest result of the weekend by finishing second behind Spain. That result was enough to propel Switzerland into third place on the overall leaderboard and book their spot in the event final.
Germany matched Switzerland's momentum. Showing steady progress across the full regatta, Germany took third in Race 5 and secured their own place in the final alongside the Swiss. The USA and France completed the top five, with Canada, Italy and Australia finishing further back.
The Race 5 results settled the three-team line-up for the event final. Switzerland led the fleet race standings on 31 points, with Germany and Australia level on 30 points each. Emirates GBR fell just three points short of qualification despite a strong weekend's sailing. Spain's victory lifted them to 27 points and fifth on the leaderboard, while ROCKWOOL Racing slipped back after a disappointing ninth-place finish in the race.
For Tom Slingsby and the BONDS Flying Roos, qualification came despite a scrappy Race 5 that included a late penalty for failing to give room. Australia's place in the final was hard-earned rather than comfortable, but it keeps them firmly in contention.
Geneva has tested SailGP's model throughout the weekend. An inland lake, light and unpredictable winds, and limited course options produced racing that bears little resemblance to the foiling spectacle the series typically delivers. The theatre on the water came largely from protest flags and penalty calls rather than high-speed duels. Yet Race 5 showed that even when the boats are barely lifting, the competition remains fierce and the outcomes genuinely matter.
Spain found their moment of joy when they needed it most. Switzerland earned a shot at glory in front of their own fans. Germany took another step forward in what has been a quietly impressive event for them.
One race remains in Geneva. The event final will determine who claims the regatta win, and whether Switzerland can complete a memorable weekend on home waters.
Final standings, SailGP Geneva 2025:
Los Gallos (Spain) - 10 pts Switzerland - 9 pts Germany by Deutsche Bank - 8 pts United States - 7 pts NorthStar (Canada) - 6 pts France - 5 pts Emirates GBR - 4 pts Red Bull Italy - 3 pts BONDS Flying Roos - 2 pts ROCKWOOL Racing (Denmark) - 1 pt Black Foils (New Zealand) - 0 pts Mubadala Brazil - 0 pts
Fleet race totals at the end of Race 5:
Switzerland - 31 pts Germany by Deutsche Bank - 30 pts BONDS Flying Roos - 30 pts Emirates GBR - 28 pts Los Gallos (Spain) - 25 pts ROCKWOOL Racing (Denmark) - 25 pts France - 23 pts Black Foils (New Zealand) - 23 pts NorthStar (Canada) - 22 pts United States - 21 pts Red Bull Italy - 15 pts Mubadala Brazil - 2 pts
