The Australian team, led by Tom Slingsby, has won the United States Grand Prix, the last round of the 2021-2022 SailGP World Circuitand has been proclaimed the winner of the season by beating Japan and the United States in the Grand Final and taking the prize of one million dollars (910,000 euros).
The day in the waters of the San Francisco Bay has been truly insane. First, the very unstable South wind, which went from 5 to 13 knots (9 to 24 km/h), the currents and a gray and cold day (14 Cº) and the entry of two whales into the regatta field, which forced the Grand Final, which had already started, to be stopped.
Who has taken the worst part has been the Spanish F50 ‘Victoria’, commanded by Jordi Xammar that in the first round, when turning at the second gate of the course, he collided with the United States boat commanded by Jimmy Spithill.
The starboard float has collided with the port float of the Americans, who had the right of way on the tack and has caused a penalty of 6 points for the Spanish teamwhich has had to withdraw with damage to the float and has not returned to compete.
This has led him to be last in the San Francisco standings and move from fourth to seventh and penultimate place of the season in the absolute final general; a balance that has not done justice to the Spanish team.
As for the day, in which the fourth and fifth round of the San Francisco test were played, the australian domainwith a totally ‘aussie’ crew that has formed with Tom Slingsby (skipper) Jason Waterhouse (Tactician and flight controller), Kyle Langford (wing sail trimmer), Sam Newton (grinder) Kinley Fowler (grinder) and Nina Curtis (trimmer), It has been absolute, being second in the first round and winning the second to win the American appointment.
Later, with very irregular winds and the threat of a storm, the Grand Final began to be played, in which the first three classified of the absolute general of the season participated: Australia, led by Tom Slingsby, Japan, with Nathan Outteridge as skipper and the United States with the double winner of the America’s Cup, the Australian Jimmy Spithill leading the team; curiously three Australians in front of the three finalists.
It was clear that the American team, after its collision in the first round with the Spanish, with damage to its starboard float and that its technicians managed to provisionally repair, was in inferior conditions, but it wanted to go out and fight.
After a good start of the three competitors, the regatta committee suspended the race in the second section due to seeing two whales in the regatta field. This has caused almost an hour of stoppage and in the new start the wind played bad again past the ships. The Australians put land in between from the start. The route, in six sections, was a nightmare. the wind passed from 5 to 14 knots (9 to 26 km/h) and the current was slowing down the F50s.
In the fourth section, the Australian team, with a 500 meter advantage over their two rivals, was ‘stuck’. Slingsby ordered the entire crew to change to their starboard float and counterweight, managed to ‘fly’ their ship and prevent Japan from overtaking them; at that time he had won the race and was proclaimed champion of the Sail GP Circuit for the second year.
The next test, which will open the 2022-2023 season, which It will be the third of the World Circuit and will consist of nine events, it will be held on May 14 and 15 in Hamilton (Bermuda). Spain will host the sixth test in Cádiz on September 24 and 25 next.