From start to finish, Season 4 was packed with drama, heartbreak and triumph. As we look back, we round up some of the best moments from the 13-event calendar.
Emirates GBR overtake Australia in dramatic finish to Saint-Tropez
Saint-Tropez’s action-packed three-boat Final between Australia, Emirates GBR and Spain came to a dramatic conclusion, with Emirates GBR overtaking the Aussies at the last moment.
The Brits executed the overtake in the final moments of the race, with crazy footage showing an animated Ben Ainslie shouting at the Australians to keep clear. The Brits soared across the finish line in style - securing their first event win since Season 2.
The U.S. bounce back from crew injury to win in Cadiz
The U.S. team took a hit in Taranto when the F50 crashing off the foils resulted in the injury of former flight controller Hans Henken.
As a result, Henken had to miss the next event in Cadiz while he recovered. Despite former driver Jimmy Spithill admitting the team was ‘on the back foot’ without him, the team battled back to pick up the event win.
The triumph also wrapped up Spithill’s time on the U.S. F50, with Cadiz marking his the final event behind the wheel.
Spithill drives Australia in Dubai
As SailGP fans reeled from the news Spithill would be leaving the U.S. team, the Australian team announced he would return in Dubai - to sub in for Tom Slingsby.
Slingsby, who had to miss the event for the birth of his first child, handed the reins of the F50 to fellow Aussie Spithill and Spithill delivered - going up against New Zealand and Canada in the three boat Final and narrowly missing out on an event win.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand in a photo finish in Dubai
Dubai saw the closest finish of the season as Canada, New Zealand and Australia came together at the finish line.
Canada picked up a penalty, meaning they were unable to win the race, while New Zealand and Australia battled to cross the line first. Ultimately, it was Peter Burling’s New Zealand that was named the eventual winner.
Spain beats Season leaders Australia and New Zealand in Bermuda
After winning their first ever event in Los Angeles early on in the season, Spain had a mid-season slump. The team came under fire after promising so much, with many critics deeming them nothing more than ‘light wind specialists’.
But in Bermuda, Diego Botin’s crew proved them wrong, rising to the challenge in windy conditions and going head to head with season leaders New Zealand and Australia in the three boat Final. Spain stunned fans to take the win - proving they could beat the league’s very best teams.
Australia wins their home event in Sydney
It was a shaky season for triple SailGP champions Australia, which struggled to get a dominant grasp on the season.
By the time the fleet arrived in Sydney, the Aussies had made it into six Finals but failed to win any.
But at home, Tom Slingsby’s crew rose to the challenge, going head to head against a New Zealand without Peter Burling and Nicolai Sehested’s Danish crew to win their first - and only - event of the season.
Giles Scott secures first SailGP win in Halifax
Incoming driver Giles Scott - who replaced Ben Ainslie behind the wheel of Emirates GBR in Abu Dhabi - had a tricky entrance into SailGP with 8-7-7-8 place finishes in Abu Dhabi, Sydney, Christchurch and Bermuda.
But in Halifax, something clicked, and Scott executed clean fleet race finishes to take on France and ROCKWOOL DEN in the Final and win.
New Zealand - the Season 4 team to beat
From the start of the season to the finish, it was Peter Burling’s New Zealand that was the team to beat.
Despite mid-season equipment failures, the team bounced back to make it into seven event Finals and won five of them, keeping them at the top of the leaderboard heading into the Grand Final where they were pipped to the ultimate victory by Diego Botin’s Spain.
