The United States secured victory in the final Group B split fleet race on the Waitematā Harbour, with a mid-race boundary penalty against Australia proving the decisive factor in a closely fought contest.
Racing got underway at 12:28pm under shifting conditions. The Americans made a strong start and were first to Mark 1, with Spain following just seconds back. Australia, Switzerland and Sweden were tightly bunched in pursuit, and margins between the leading boats remained slim through the early stages. With New Zealand and France absent after Saturday's collision, the compressed standings made every point more consequential.
The moment that shaped the outcome came midway through the race. Australia had moved to the right side of the course in search of stronger pressure, but in doing so sailed outside the boundary. The umpires issued a penalty at 12:32:39. Although the Australians completed the penalty quickly and returned to racing speed, the distance surrendered in such a short format was difficult to recover.
Spain closed immediately, pulling to within 2.3 seconds of the lead at Mark 3 and turning what had looked like a one-boat contest into a genuine three-boat battle.
The Americans did not overplay their hand. They sailed clean lanes upwind and maintained consistent pressure rather than over-defending, which forced Spain onto longer routes and gradually extended the gap. Australia found pace again after the penalty but remained in catch-up mode throughout.
By Mark 5 the running order had settled. The United States held the lead, with Australia and Spain closely matched in their wake. Sweden and Switzerland remained within striking distance but were unable to close the gap.
The United States crossed the line at 12:35:58. Australia finished 10.7 seconds later, and Spain was 13.7 seconds behind the winners. Sweden and Switzerland completed the fleet within seconds.
The result illustrated how fine the margins are in split fleet racing under Auckland's confined and gusty conditions. A single boundary infringement was all that separated a team controlling the race from one chasing it.
