From the return of the 29m wing to Australia’s triumphant momentum, we round up five things to watch out for when racing continues in Dubai.
The return of the 29m wing
With a light forecast ahead, teams were asked to choose which win they’d prefer to sail with - the 24m or largest 29m. They unanimously voted for the 29m wing, which means it will return to the SailGP racetrack for the first time since New Zealand’s wing collapse in Saint-Tropez.
Can Spithill steer Australia to their first Season 4 victory?
Former U.S. driver Jimmy Spithill took masterful control of Australia on his first day subbing in for permanent driver Tom Slingsby, driving the Flying Roo to the top of the leaderboard after three fleet races. Can Spithill keep it going on day two to steer the Aussies to their first event win of Season 4?
Will Emirates GBR scrape into the three-boat Final?
It was a tricky start for Ben Ainslie’s Emirates GBR, with 5th and 7th place finishes in the first fleet race. But the British team battled back to win the third fleet race, putting them within one point of second place heading into day two. Can the ‘home from home’ team pull off a win on Mina Rashid?
The USA debut continues
The first day of Dubai saw the debut of Taylor Canfield’s new-look USA team, with plenty of promising moments and solid starts. But the Americans were unable to hold onto their position and slipped backwards through the fleet to finish the day with an 8-9-9 race record. Can the team regroup to make improvements on day two?
Will Dubai host the Season 4 turning point for Canada?
It was a strong first day for Phil Robertson’s Canada, which benefited from the addition of new wing trimmer Paul Campbell-James. The team picked up a win in the first race followed by a 3rd and 8th, leaving them in third tied on points with New Zealand. Can Canada keep it going to pick up their second ever SailGP victory?
Racing resumes at 2pm GST.
