Blazing Black Foils: New Zealand Claim Season-Opener In Dubai

Sunday, November 24, 2024 | Dubai, UAE — Picking up where they left off in January, Peter Burling’s ‘Black Foils’ have claimed their third consecutive win in the UAE, soaring ahead of the Emirates Great Britain and U.S. SailGP Team on the pristine waters of Port Mina Rashid. The Black Foils are back-to-back-winners of the Rolex SailGP Championship’s season-opening event.

New Zealand Driver Peter Burling said, “Awesome play from the group – I mean as a new team to get to the final this week – it’s one of the hardest things in this light air. And we really pulled it out this season and got a great start and hit it right at mark one. I made a bad choice making it a bit more complicated – taking a right turn – which put us right back in the pack but then it was clean, and it was good to race from there to take a win.”

Following a day of technical, light-air racing on Saturday, the 11-strong Rolex SailGP Championship fleet enjoyed breezy, foiling conditions – providing a show-stopping spectacle for fans watching along the shoreline.

Finishing in third was an ecstatic U.S. SailGP Team Driver Taylor Canfield, who celebrated, “Any event going on the podium is incredible, so it’s awesome to see how all the hard work we have put in is paying off. It’s early stages, and we have a lot to build on –- but the team are working hard and made a huge jump here overnight. And everyone dug in deep and found a way to get better for today. That’s the goal and it just shows how driven, and that everyone’s got that fight in them – so yeah we are pumped.”

The Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix, presented by P&O Marinas marked a welcome shift for the all-American crew, who have not made it on the podium since the last time they raced in the Middle East. The team delivered a consistent performance on both days of racing, earning the critical points needed to clinch a spot in the podium final. Celebrating an impressive second place podium finish at his first event since Season 1, Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher proved he’s more than capable of competing against the best athletes in the sport.

Heading into the fifth and final fleet race of the weekend, a tight battle for third was poised between a handful of teams, including Emirates GBR and reigning Rolex SailGP Champions Spain. But it wasn’t to be for Los Gallos, who couldn’t manage to stay in front of Fletcher and missed out on the final. Despite leading the fleet heading into day two, the Flying Roo also missed out after finishing last in race five.

One of the Rolex SailGP’s two new nations in the 2025 Season, Red Bull Italy missed out on event points whilst fellow debut Mubadala Brazil added their first point to the Rolex SailGP Championship standings.

Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team Driver Martine Grael said, “There were a lot of challenges. Some during the first day – our first time on the big winds. I think it's all going well and I'm very happy with our crew. We've been trying to improve a lot in the last few days, so it's been a steep learning curve.”

Enjoying the sunset along the shoreline, fans at the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix, presented by P&O Marinas enjoyed live après-sail entertainment from singer-songwriter Craig David. The most exciting racing on water heads down under in January, with the Rolex SailGP’s first event of the new year, the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland (January 18-19, 2025). The event will be the league’s long-awaited debut in the city, and Burling said the team couldn’t wait to race at home, commenting, “We’re super excited to get home, the buzz in town is already growing. The renders of the grandstand, which is just about to get built, is amazing. So for any Kiwis who have not bought tickets yet, it’s going to be an amazing weekend.”

Tickets are selling fast – visit SailGP.com/Auckland to witness 12 F50 catamarans race for the very first time in the city of sails.

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