SailGP Grand Final: Black Foils settle into work in San Francisco

“We’re on the little wings and the fast foils, so the boats are super dynamic out there and with all the puffs and stuff, they’re really hard to sail,” Black Foils’ sailor Josh Junior said.

“We saw across the whole fleet teams making mistakes and doing some things well. We made a couple [of mistakes] and then did some things really well so as a team we’re progressing.”

The Kiwis played things relatively safe in the starting box, generally positioning themselves well but not engaging with tight battles for position over the line. That saw them start two of the three races toward the back end of the fleet, but in the gusty conditions, it didn’t take long for them to work their way toward the front.

Boat speed and their ability to make up places in the fleet have been key features for the Black Foils this season, and that didn’t change in San Francisco. They did have a couple of uncharacteristically loose errors, but overall there was plenty for them to take away from the day.

“You’ve got to be getting into that final in good shape. It’s definitely that balance, like it’s been all season, of looking after the boat but pushing hard enough that you’re ready, come the final,” Peter Burling said after the day’s opening race.

“It’s super shifty... it’s just about keeping it fast in these puffs and making the most of it.”

The Black Foils were forced into a late personnel change prior to the race as grinder Louis Sinclair was kept out of day one due to illness, Finn Henry taking the handles in his place.

“Yeah, we actually got lucky enough to sail with him yesterday as well,” Burling said of Henry joining them on-board. “Louis went down yesterday morning so he’s been doing an amazing job filling in. It’s pretty difficult conditions for someone to just jump on to the boat, but it’s great to have him.”

San Francisco has traditionally served up plenty of action on Grand Final weekend. This year will be the last time the City by the Bay hosts the final for the foreseeable future, with the calendar changing for season five, the campaign starting and finishing in Abu Dhabi, though San Francisco will remain a stop on the tour.

Alongside the Kiwis, Australia look all but assured of a spot in the Grand Final shootout, despite a mixed day. They blitzed the rest of the fleet in the day’s second race, reminding everyone of their capabilities as three-time defending champions, while the battle for the final spot in the big race is heating up.

Spain came into the event with a five-point lead over France for that third place on the season leaderboard, however the French had a significantly better day on the water to put real pressure on the Spanish for the weekend’s final two fleet races.

Had racing ended after day one, France would have leapfrogged the Spanish to steal that place in the final. They’ll have two more fleet races to sort things out, before the race for $3.2m plays out.

Two fleet races will take place from 9.30am (NZT), with start times scheduled for 9.37am and 10.07am, with the three-boat grand finale scheduled for a 10.35am start.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.