In this episode of the Yacht Racing Life podcast Justin Chisholm is joined by the Rule69Blog’s Magnus Wheatley to unpack a light-air weekend of racing at the SailGP event in Cádiz, Spain. Justin was on site for practice and day one before watching Sunday’s action on replay. The verdict: a picturesque venue and big crowds, yet a regatta that often turned into starting practice in marginal breeze and awkward sea state.

Venue and vibe

Cádiz impressed. The old city serves up surfy beach culture on one side and a natural stadium on the other, with fans lining a huge sea wall. The media centre sat in the castle at the end of the wall, which gave a drone-like view straight down to the leeward gates. The local crowd were all in for Spain SailGP Team, although the weekend did not go their way.

Tech talk: a new 27.5 m wing

Spain missed the fleet practice after being tasked to help validate the new 27.5 metre wing that SailGP hopes to have available in time for the Abu Dhabi Season 5 Grand Final in Abu Dhabi – a traditionally light air venue. Magnus remains sceptical of the sales pitch around performance benefits of the new light airs foil and rudder packages and suggests that the introduction of the new wing config is driven by safety concerns after a string of rig failures. 

The racing: Britain nail the big moments

Emirates Team GBR delivered a measured, champion’s performance. Starts were cleaner on Saturday than Sunday, yet the hallmark was damage limitation when it went wrong. Twelfths and elevenths became sixths and sevenths, which kept the points tally moving. In the final, Dylan Fletcher and Hannah Mills, with Iain Jensen and Luke Parkinson, executed a smart two-marks-ahead plan in the fleet racing and then stole the final from the Kiwis with an perfectly executed attack at the final turning mark.

Season picture after Cádiz

1. Great Britain 85 pts
2. New Zealand 82 pts
3. Australia 80 pts

Spain on 76 points remain fourth and still in with a shout of making the Grand Final. 

France in fifth look too far back to threaten.

Format and fairness

Justin worries about the winner-takes-all finale. With three elite teams you risk one soft start deciding a season. Magnus counters that jeopardy is sport, simple to explain, and essential for broadcast. Both agree it does not always crown the most complete team across the year, yet within SailGP’s entertainment remit it works.

A separate gripe was the short first downwind. If you stuck the first jibe and were top three at Mark 1 you were gone. Passing lanes were scarce, especially with twelve boats and light air. Magnus would like Russell Coutts to trial split-fleet racing in these conditions. 

Who impressed, who struggled

• Denmark were superb on Saturday. Smooth, tidy manoeuvres, gliding through manoeuvres. A late fall off the foils on Sunday ended their hopes, yet they bank a big confidence block after their performance on the opening day.
• Germany made their second consecutive final – a reward for making attacking decisions.
• United States were improved, with a third, fourth and fifth on the sheet, and finished eighth overall.
• Canada remain ‘ying and yang’ – as skipper Giles Scott previously described them. Moments of front-running class, then the wheels wobble.
• France were sixes and sevens on Saturday, sharp on Sunday. Consistency is the missing piece.
• Italy look lost. Setup, coaching and roles need a hard review.
• Switzerland made poor percentage calls at key gates and paid heavily.
• Australia won a race then faded. If Abu Dhabi is light they are the most vulnerable of the top three to a Spanish surge.
• New Zealand were one tack from the win, so will feel bruised yet reassured about pace.

Looking ahead to Abu Dhabi

History suggests light air, although sailing loves to surprise. If it is marginal, expect Spain to attack with nothing to lose and the Australians to feel the heat. The Brits look the complete package across conditions, while the Kiwis remain highly potent in the breeze.

Final thought

Cádiz was a reminder that even in a manufactured league the sailors’ craft still decides the biggest moments. The British final-mark sequence was world class. Now all eyes turn to Abu Dhabi, where for the top three teams a season’s worth of hard work will be settled in a single race for a very large cheque.

Image © Samo Vidic for SailGP

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