The young generation makes a strong showing on the first day of racing at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix organized by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council Take That’s performance, which became a global phenomenon, took place as the sun set on the first day of Abu Dhabi.
The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix, organized by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, was greeted with light winds in the forecast, but the Spanish Sail GP team did not slow down despite the conditions and showed momentum, winning two of the three races. . After an incredible opening day for the team, Diego Botín emerged from the waters of Mina Zayed to score the most points, with New Zealand and the United States not far behind, taking second and third overall respectively. .
Diego Botín’s Spanish Sail GP team crossed the finish line on the first day of racing at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix, organized by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. January 13, 2024. Photo: Simon Bruty of SailGP. Handout image provided by SailGP
The first race of the day mirrored the final race of the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix hosted by P&O Marinus last month, with New Zealand, Australia and Canada finishing in the top three. Peter Burling and the New Zealand team started the weekend in the same way they ended the previous event in Dubai, leading the fleet throughout the race and crossing the finish line in first place.
Despite seeing a slight gust of wind on the racetrack, Canada managed to accelerate and overtake the Australians, crossing the finish line in second place. However, Phil Robertson’s Canadian team was penalized for not giving enough space to Tom Slingsby’s Australian team at the final mark just before the finish line, drawing fans back to the three-boat finish in Dubai. On reflection after the race, the referees looked at the footage and admitted it shouldn’t have been a penalty.
Robertson said: “We don’t know who’s the favorite, but it’s definitely not us. We’ll continue to be penalized for the life of Canada SailGP.”
With the start on the new ‘slalom style’ race course so important, the second race of the day saw Rockwool Denmark, the up-and-coming US team and Germany make the most of the light conditions and be first to the line. passed.
Botin, the young driver of Los Gallos, managed to catch up to the front of the pack without too much delay and turned at the first race mark just behind American Taylor Canfield and Rockwool Denmark’s Nathan Outteridge. . Nathan Outteridge, who is currently replacing driver Nikolai Sehested, is on paternity leave.
The Spanish and Americans split course as they approached the final mark, slowing down when Canfield encountered the rest of the fleet. With one hull submerged in water, Spain managed to slide forward and pass the American team with priority, taking first place. I made a lot of progress from last place in the last race. The US team took a respectable second place, but to their surprise, the Kiwi team, winners of race one, finished last.
Peter Burling’s New Zealand Sail GP team is in action on day one of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix, hosted by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. January 13, 2024. Photo: Simon Bruty of SailGP. Handout image provided by SailGP
In the third and final race of the day, Bottin made a good start to gain the inside position and right of way, pushing New Zealand into second place. The Kiwis and ‘Los Gallos’ were in a close race until Spain activated their tactics at the third mark, forcing New Zealand to take a less than ideal route with less wind. This strategic move paid off, with Spain scoring their second win of the day and Burling taking second place.
Botin said: “We started the day in a bad position, finishing last in the first race, but it was great to come back with two wins and get to the top of the leaderboard. It was a very close race, so everything will be decided tomorrow. Well, let’s see how it goes.”
It was a coincidence that the team stormed to victory on opening day in Abu Dhabi, with news announced earlier in the day that the Spanish SailGP team and space tourism company EOS-X would be partnering for the remainder of Season 4. . This is the first time a brand in this field has sponsored a professional sports team.
The SailGP fleet is in action with the Abu Dhabi skyline in the background on the first day of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix, hosted by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. January 13, 2024. Photo: Ricardo Pinto of SailGP. Handout image provided by SailGP
It was an impressive first day for Canfield. They fought back from 9th place in the first race, chased it down in a few races, and finished the day in 3rd place behind New Zealand, heading into the second day just 2 points behind leader Spain. .
Canfield said: “I think our team did a very good job in the wind. There were a lot of ups and downs. We have to keep the pressure on and we plan on finishing in the top three in the final race tomorrow.”
After the race, the day ended with a spectacular performance by Back for Good trio Take That, performing classic hits such as Shine, Rewrite My Fire and Rule the World in front of a sold-out crowd. Did. This was a historic moment as it was the first time SailGP combined action-packed racing with live entertainment. More events are planned for the weekend. On the final day of the race, one of the UAE’s biggest music personalities will be joined by DJ Saif and Sound on site for fans to enjoy.
The final day of the Mubadala Sail Grand Prix, organized by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, will begin tomorrow, January 13, at 2pm local time and will be available to watch on Abu Dhabi Sports. For more information on how to watch around the world, visit SailGP.com/watch. Limited tickets are still available for Abu Dhabi fans to watch the event final. For more information, visit SailGP.com/AbuDhabi.
Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix Day 1 Standings by Abu Dhabi Sports Council //
1 // Spain 21 points
2 // New Zealand 20 points
3 // US 19 points
4 // Canada 19 points
5 // France 17 points
6 // Australia 16 points
7 // Rockwool Denmark 16 points
8 // Emirates UK 12 points
9 // Germany 12 points
10 // Switzerland 9 points