Spain executed a stunning start to take an early lead in the Grand Final and backed it up by covering less distance and executing fewer maneuvers than both Australia and New Zealand.
Los Gallos timed their run to the line perfectly, with just 0.2 seconds to spare, and were positioned perfectly - just 3.8m from the line.
The Spanish beat both Australia and New Zealand across these metrics - the Aussies were 7.2m from the line and took 0.4 seconds to cross it, while the Kiwis were 20m away and took 1.1 seconds.
The team were also by far the fastest team at the start, racking up a starting speed of 84 km/h - almost 20km/h faster than Australia, 66.8 km/h, while New Zealand recorded a starting speed of 70.4 km/h.
Spain’s excellent start gave them an early lead, including first at Mark 1, which poured pressure on the Kiwis and Aussies to overtake.
New Zealand split the course as a last resort, while Australia tried to pick the right moment to launch an attack.
The start may have given the Spanish an early advantage but it didn’t win them the race - the team also sailed the shortest distance - 10,879m versus Australia’s 11,035m and New Zealand’s 11,136m, and executed the fewest number of maneuvers - 10 in comparison to New Zealand and Australia’s 12.
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