Spain wins two races to lead SailGP New York after day one

Los Gallos Spain claimed Race 3 of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix by 8.1 seconds from Emirates GBR, with Team USA a further 12 seconds back in third. Across the day's racing, Spain took two race victories to GBR's one.

The start could hardly have been tighter, with all three boats clearing the line within two seconds of each other. GBR moved into the lead at Mark 1 and held it through the early stages, keeping Spain and USA in close company. The gaps remained narrow through the first three marks, leaving the race far from decided.

Spain's turning point came at the top of the course, where they committed to the left side, found stronger pressure, and emerged ahead of the fleet. It was the same tactical read that had handed them victory in Race 2. USA attempted to follow suit, also splitting left, but ran into lighter air and slipped back to third. GBR pushed hard over the final legs, though a foil touchdown during a late manoeuvre cost them time, and the course ran out before they could claw back the deficit.

Spain recorded a flight time of 96 percent across the day's racing. Diego Botin acknowledged that skipping a warm-up session had made the opening races difficult to settle into, but noted that the crew's boat handling grew sharper with each race. The East River current ran consistently across the course, making mark roundings a costly affair while offering competitors little room for meaningful tactical variation.

Lighter winds are forecast for Sunday, when the full fleet is expected on the water.

Day 1, race day fleet total