From the United States’s catastrophic capsize to a desperate race start for France, we round up five moments you might have missed from Bermuda’s fast and furious racing.
Massive capsize for the USA
Bermuda’s racing got off to a dramatic start, with the United States suffering a shocking capsize in practice racing and the crew flung from the boat. Caused by crew error, the capsize caused significant damage to the team’s F50, meaning they were unable to race all weekend.
Aggressive move from Sehested
ROCKWOOL DEN driver Nicolai Sehested showed a new side in Bermuda, when he executed aggressive racing tactics to almost push Australia from the racecourse. The incident occurred on the approach to the finish line in the third fleet race, and saw ROCKWOOL DEN seize second place while Australia crossed in third.
France desperate race start
A disappointing first day of racing for France resulted in desperation when racing resumed. An aggressive start by driver Quentin Delapierre saw the team thread the needle through the fleet for a commanding starting position. But it came at a cost, with the French picking up a penalty for infringing the Danish and ultimately finishing the race in last place.
Canada lose spot in Final
It was a frustrating event for Phil Robertson’s Canada which, despite being named the ‘boat of the weekend’ by commentator Stevie Morrison, just missed out on a place in the Final to the Spanish. Heading into the fifth fleet race, Canada needed to finish in at least 7th place to proceed into the three-boat showdown. But a poor performance saw them slip through the fleet to finish 9th overall and miss out on the Final on equal scoring with Spain.
Spain excellent racing tactics
Despite sneaking into the Final by the thinnest of margins, Spain was offensive from the start, executing a flawlessm tactical start and securing the inside line at Mark 1. From there, Diego Botin’s defended against New Zealand, forcing the Black Foils to undertake extra maneuvers and sail more distance. The excellent tactical decision-making paid off, with Spain picking up its second ever event win.
