SailGP Auckland: Recap from the opening day of racing
All the action from the opening day of SailGP’s Auckland debut.
Christopher Reive
That will do it for today's blog. I'll be back at it tomorrow. For now, here's the race report from today's action. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday.
Christopher Reive
The Harbourmaster's take on today's event:
"So far everyone has been very well behaved and I think it’s been a great success on the water.
And some advice for tomorrow (if you're heading along):
"If everyone follows the rules and the advice of the course marshals it will be a great success.
Just keep an eye on the forecasts because some show it might be windier than it has been today.
If everyone behaves the same tomorrow as they’ve behaved today it will be another successful day."
The Black Foils win race four
Christopher Reive
Perfect race for the New Zealand crew, who got out in front from the start and stayed there.
Australia in second - they were the best team all day.
Christopher Reive
The Black Foils hit the line at pace and get over the top of the Australians to take the lead around the first mark.
Christopher Reive
Tom Slingsby is finding space, and the Kiwis are hooning
Race four
Christopher Reive
Let's see if the Black Foils can sort the start out this time. It's not looking too bad early.
Christopher Reive
The German team will try to race again, so we'll have 11 boats back out there.
Christopher Reive
We will be getting a fourth race
It's sixth for the Black Foils
Christopher Reive
Good points saved there - again.
Switzerland win race three
Christopher Reive
That'll feel good for last year's last-placed team. Australia and Canada fill out the podium.
Christopher Reive
Great Britain, New Zealand and Brazil look like they're having a podium race as they sail past the media booth - no other boats were in sight.
They are, however, the three at the back of the fleet.
Christopher Reive
The Black Foils are at the back of the fleet. Disastrous day so far.
Christopher Reive
Switzerland sailing a clean race so far, ahead of Australia and Canada.
Penalty New Zealand
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Black Foils penalised for not giving Great Britain enough room at the boundary.
Christopher Reive
Switzerland shoot out to a massive lead early.
Christopher Reive
The home team get a bit caught in the air of the rest of the fleet and it's another average start.
They'll be eighth or ninth at the first gate.
Christopher Reive
The Black Foils are looking to start from the back and hit the line at speed... I don't think they'll have a clear shot at the line though.
Race three
Christopher Reive
Germany won't be racing due to hydraulic issues with the boat.
Christopher Reive
It's an eighth-placed finish for the Black Foils.
Australia win race two
Christopher Reive
The USA mistake opened the door and Tom Slingsby slammed it shut. Can't give the Australians an opportunity like that.
Christopher Reive
Great Britain are hanging in there, but Australia are sailing nicely out in front. Italy continue to hold onto third.
The Black Foils are 10th
Christopher Reive
It's now Australia leading from Great Britain and Italy. The Black Foils are a long way back.
Christopher Reive
Mistake from the American sees them fall off the foils. Then a gust comes and sends them into a little splashdown. Disastrous stuff for the race leaders.
Christopher Reive
The Black Foils are stuggling again... with a hull in the water and they're losing touch with the rest of the fleet.
Christopher Reive
USA hold the lead, from Australia and Italy. The Black Foils are sailing in ninth right now. Not great.
Christopher Reive
The Black Foils lose a bit of speed and fall to the back of the fleet, but they're up and foiling again and charging to the next gate.
Christopher Reive
At mark one it's USA, from Australia, GBR and Brazil, with the Black Foils and Canada not far back.
Race two
Christopher Reive
Better start here for the Kiwis. They're looking to weave their way through the fleet and are well positioned at the top of the line.
USA take the early advantage, though - shooting down the outside and getting over the top.
It's fourth for the Black Foils
Christopher Reive
That's a great result, all things considered.
Christopher Reive
Jeez, somehow the Kiwis have moved into fourth. It's wild that moving through the fleet was a real issue for them in seasons two and three.
It's become a real strength.
Great Britain win race one
Christopher Reive
Great start, great second leg, great race really. Well deserved win
Christopher Reive
NZ bias aside, this has turned into quite a fun race. A lot of teams breaking out into mini duels with a few big gaps in the fleet.
Christopher Reive
Interesting to see Italy and Germany fighting for third at the moment... not usually up there amongst the race contenders. Great to see.
Christopher Reive
Spain picked up a penalty - I believe for going outside the boundary - and now it's really Great Britain's race for the taking.
Christopher Reive
Halfway through the race now. The Black Foils are up to seventh
Christopher Reive
Really fun duel out the front at the moment. Dylan Fletcher is trying his best to keep the Spanish behind them.
Diego Botin chooses to split the course to get out of the Brits' dirty air, but that gives GBR a good speed advantage and it looks like GBR's race to lose from here.
Christopher Reive
The Black Foils sit 10th heading to the second gate
Christopher Reive
Great Britain and Spain are duelling for the lead, with a decent gap to Germany in third.
Christopher Reive
The Brits have surged and cut the corner on the Spanish at gate two to take the lead.
Christopher Reive
USA, NZ and Brazil get off the line poorly and you can probably write this race off for them.
Christopher Reive
Well, that's a terrible start for the Kiwis.
Spain, Great Britain and Switzerland are the front three after the first leg.
Teams are heading to the pre-start now
Christopher Reive
Jeez, that's a tight starting line. The Black Foils come in from the side and they're very late
Christopher Reive
Not far from racing now. The boats are just milling about in the harbour, waiting before they make their way down for the pre-start battle.
Christopher Reive
Among the other Kiwis in the fleet is grinder Stewart Dodson, who sails with the Swiss team. He won the title with Spain in season four, but joined the Swiss - who finished last - in the off-season.
Fellow Kiwi grinder Joseph Sullivan has also joined the Swiss team, but Sullivan is only there for this weekend's event.
Christopher Reive
Here's the intended schedule
Race one - 4:11pm
Race two - 4:30pm
Race three - 4:49pm
Race four (possibly) - 5.09pm
Schedule change
Christopher Reive
Given the great conditions and shorter racecourse, I've been told we will likely be getting four races today instead of three.
However, should the conditions fall away, they will stick to the original three-race plan.
CREW CHANGE
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After an injury to usual flight controller Andrea Tesei in training yesterday, Kiwi Jason Saunders will step in for the Italian team today.
Saunders is the regular flight controller for the French team, who are in Auckland but not racing due to a wingsail issue.
Christopher Reive
Christopher Reive
It's hard to pick a winner for this event. I'd have liked to have seen a day of practice that saw all 11 teams on the course together, but due to conditions and time set for trialing, SailGP ran split-fleet training over the last couple of days.
In those six-boat and five-boat races, Australia looked terrific, Brazil were fast, New Zealand were solid, while Spain and Denmark were going pretty well too.
I think New Zealand and Australia will again be the teams the rest of the fleet need to catch, but there are a handful of others who could battle to fill out the podium. I'm going to put Great Britain in there, but I look forward to seeing how all the teams deal with what shapes up as a tight course.
Christopher Reive
Christopher Reive
The vessels are all hooning around on the harbour now - those new T-Foils sound like whale songs one might listen to when they're trying to get to sleep. Surprisingly pleasant
Christopher Reive
We've got a few more boats out there now - Germany, Canada and Great Britain now cruising along in front of the fans
We're about an hour from racing
Christopher Reive
The boats are starting to make their way out onto the course. Italy were the first team to get out onto the water - and remain the only team out so far. They're doing a few laps in front of the grandstand at Wynyard Point.
Christopher Reive
Plenty of boats have made their way out onto the Waitematā Harbour - one of the ticketing options for the event was Bring Your Own Boat and there look to have been plenty of people who have taken that option.
Christopher Reive
"They pushed really hard to be ready here and deliver boat 12," Quentin Delapierre - driver for France - told me yesterday.
"Unfortunately, [it's a] big issue on the wing, and it's not possible to sail the boat with those issues.
"They just announced it quite late, but it's all good because they were pushing really hard to deliver it"
Delapierre was hopeful the boat would be ready to go in Sydney next month.
In case you missed it
Christopher Reive
The French team were supposed to be back in action in Auckland, however an issue with their wingsail put that plan to bed.
Christopher Reive
Listen to Jason Pine's chat with Australian flight controller Jason Waterhouse. Waterhouse paints a very exciting picture for the racing ahead - from a spectator's perspective any way.
Christopher Reive
Earlier this week, the Brazilian team had a bit of a close call on the Hauraki Gulf. I caught up with Andy Maloney to find out what exactly happened.
Christopher Reive
For all you need to know about today's event...
Christopher Reive
Listen to Jason Pine's chat with Black Foils driver and co-CEO Peter Burling here
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"Tomorrow looks crazy. I'm genuinely worried there's going to be some carnage," Waterhouse said of Sunday's forecast.
"I think it's going to be top end conditions."
Christopher Reive
Last year in Christchurch, the Australians crashed into a marker and ended their regatta.
"I still have nightmares about it," Waterhouse says.
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"Seeing the league grow like it has has been incredible," Waterhouse says of the league.
With the T-Foils, he says it makes his role more dynamic and while they'll definitely make the fleet faster, it's a tricky learning curve.
"Is four days long enough to get up to speed with them?" Pine asks.
"Absolutely not," Waterhouse responded.
Jason Waterhouse joins Jason Pine now
Christopher Reive
Tom Slingsby was unavailable. Waterhouse is the team flight controller.
Christopher Reive
Among the newcomers to SailGP for this event is Kiwi Brad Farrand, who will sail for the Italian team. I caught up with him yesterday to see how that opportunity came about
Christopher Reive
Red Bull's F1 driver Liam Lawson was around the SailGP tech site yesterday and saying G'Day to some of the teams. Pine floats the idea of a driver swap programme to Burling, who responds: "I'm not sure who would be more nervous"
Christopher Reive
The Black Foils had All Blacks forward coach Jason Ryan join them for a bit this week
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Listen live here
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You can read more about Leo Takahashi joining the team here
Christopher Reive
The Black Foils had a key change coming into the season, with flight controller Andy Maloney joining the Brazilian team and Leo Takahashi joining the Black Foils.
Burling makes note of the big benefit that Takahashi comes in with SailGP experience already - having been a part of the Japanese team and the USA team.
Peter Burling
Christopher Reive
"Like any championship you want to get off to a good start," he said of winning the season opener in Dubai.
"It's really about trying to build the comfort level.
"We're under no illusions there's some big changes this week with the T-Foils coming in...we're under no illusions we've got to be at the top of our game?
Christopher Reive
To get you in the mood for some sailing action today, tune in to Weekend Sport with Jason Pine on NewstalkZB - there's a widget above to make it easy for you.
He'll be speaking with a host of big names from the world of SailGP - and myself at some point - with Black Foils driver Peter Burling, Australian driver Tom Slingsby and Alan Adler (Brazil SailGP CEO and F1 promoter).
Hello and welcome
Christopher Reive
It's opening day in SailGP's debut event in Auckland, with three 11-boat races on the schedule. Christopher Reive here at Wynyard Point to bring you the action throughout the day.
What’s happening?
A fleet of 11 F50 foiling catamarans will tear around the Waitematā Harbour on Saturday and Sunday evening in SailGP’s return to New Zealand.
After two editions on Lyttelton Harbour, the global foiling league brings its product north on what shapes up as one of the tightest racecourses on the 14-stop schedule.
With the new venue comes a new piece of equipment being unveiled, with the new high-speed T-Foils being used for the first time.
The event was initially scheduled to feature all 12 SailGP teams, but work is still needed to get the French boat race-ready, so they will watch the action from the sidelines.
“I think, honestly, it could be the best Grand Prix ever,” France driver Quentin Delapierre said.
“With 11 boats, new foils, high-speed boards, probably breaking the speed record, it can be unbelievable. Hopefully it won’t have any crashes, but with this tight race, it’s an option.”
Where is the racing going to take place?
While the teams were practicing on the Hauraki Gulf off Takapuna Beach earlier in the week, the racing is on Waitematā Harbour on the city side of the Harbour Bridge off Wynyard Point.
How can I watch it in Auckland?
If you want to see the action and don’t have a ticket/have no plans of getting one, Sulphur Beach, Stokes Point Reserve should provide the best view points on the north side of the bridge, while you should be able to catch a glimpse of the racing from Bayswater Marina, the Cyril Bassett VC lookout at Stanley Point, and atop Mt Victoria.
In the city, Princes Wharf and The Lighthouse should be popular vantage points.
How can I watch it outside of Auckland?
The racing will be broadcast live on Three and ThreeNow from 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. The action will also be livestreamed on the SailGP Youtube channel and the Herald will run a liveblog from 12pm on both days.
How are the conditions looking?
Bring something waterproof as there is a chance of the odd shower on Saturday and Sunday.
The wind looks like it’ll play ball, with a solid easterly forecast on Saturday which is expected to get a touch stronger for finals day on Sunday. That should lend its hand to some fast, frantic racing on the tight Auckland course.
Getting there
It is recommended fans come to the sailing via public transport – or walking, cycling, scootering... you get it.
There will be road closures from Madden St down to the waterfront, but Jellicoe Carpark will be open and accessible via Madden St.
If you’re getting a taxi or Uber, there is a dropbox location on Packenham St.
Bus routes will be unaffected.
Bus travel is included for SailGP ticket holders; just show your event ticket to the driver as you board. There is no parking available at the SailGP race stadium, you’ll need to find a spot in a carpark building – or on the street – nearby and walk over.
If you are heading to the race stadium, bring a water bottle with you. There will be refill sites available.
Are there many Kiwis involved?
The Black Foils are leading the charge for New Zealand and sit atop the leaderboard, but there are a few New Zealand links on the water for other teams.
Black Foils (NZ): Peter Burling, Blair Tuke, Liv Mackay, Leo Takahashi, Louis Sinclair, Marcus Hansen.
Brazil: Andy Maloney – flight controller
Italy: Alex Sinclair – grinder, Brad Farrand – reserve sailor/grinder
Switzerland: Stewart Dodson – grinder, Joseph Sullivan - grinder
France (not racing): Jason Saunders
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.