New Zealand’s Black Foils delivered a strong performance on the opening day of the Switzerland SailGP regatta despite challenging conditions and a late-race setback. The event, held on Lake Geneva, featured a split-fleet format requiring teams to adapt to light and variable winds, which limited overtaking opportunities.

The Black Foils began the day well in Group B, securing second and third place finishes in the first two races, which positioned them at the top of the leaderboard early on. However, difficulties arose prior to their final race of the day when the New Zealand team lost positional advantage at the start, raising concerns they might finish near the back of the six-boat fleet.

Under heavier wind circumstances, being out of position might have been less detrimental due to more frequent passing possibilities, but the light wind conditions on the lake made progress difficult. The team, however, rallied late in the race, advancing from sixth to fourth place by the final turn. They capitalized on penalties incurred by the Canadian and Italian teams to improve their standing across the course. This result yielded valuable points and helped the Black Foils secure second place in Group B with nine points, just one point behind the group leaders from Australia. Two remaining races in the group were scheduled for overnight competition.

“All in all, a really good day,” said Black Foils wing trimmer Blair Tuke. “It was one of those days where you’re in the fight the whole time. No respite at all, just fighting for every metre. That last race was a case in point, snuck from sixth into fourth and two really valuable points.”

In Group A, which completed only two of the planned three races due to slow conditions, Sweden and Denmark shared the lead with six points apiece. Notably, the regatta marked the first time a SailGP team sailed with two women on board. The United States called on Brazilian sailor Martine Grael to fill the driving role in place of their regular skipper, Taylor Canfield, who was sidelined with an upper body injury. Grael joined American sailors Anna Weis and the rest of the crew amid last-minute roster changes, as reserve athlete Harry Melges IV was also unavailable due to a leg injury.

Grael, who had recently parted company with the Brazilian team after Valencia, stepped back into the league unexpectedly but the American team struggled to secure points in their two races, maintaining their position in third place in the overall standings.