NZ’s SailGP breakthrough in Plymouth

New Zealand finally claimed their first regatta victory in SailGP.

The team, led by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, made their first podium race and made it count in Plymouth yesterday, beating Australia and Denmark in the medal race.

The Kiwi victory ended Australia’s five-regatta winning streak and gives the team huge confidence.

Burling said the team was ‘‘stoked to be in [their] first final’’.

‘‘It was an awesome effort from the team – it’s been a big push to get to this point, but I’m really pleased with the way we’ve been sailing and improving,’’ he said.

‘‘I think a lot of people would have expected this of us by now and it’s great to have put together a good weekend and put in such a dominant performance. We have been working really hard to improve and I think we truly proved that today.’’

New Zealand were quickest off the line in the final, followed by Denmark in close second and Australia lagging in third, marking the first time Tom Slingsby’s crew was not first to mark one in the three boat winner-takes-all final.

All three boats came off the foils as light winds plagued the bottom of the course, but it was Nicolai Sehested who was able to recover the quickest. However, an aggressive match racing manoeuvre by Burling stole the lead from Denmark at gate three, and it was the Kiwis who dominated from there.

It followed a weekend of calculated and skilful racing by Burling’s crew, who picked up a 2-2-1-5-1 fleet racing record in front of bumper crowds on Plymouth Hoe.

Crews were caught off guard by puffy conditions, which saw wind directions shift by as much as 60 degrees and fluctuate from 35 km/h to just 9 km/h.

It was a devastating day for home favourites Great Britain however, who missed out on a place in the final by the narrowest of margins. A last minute penalty for a close cross to the Aussies was handed to Great Britain just 200m from the finish line of the fifth fleet race, handing the third final place to the Danish.

As event winners, New Zealand added 10 points to the leaderboard, putting them third in the championship with 22 points overall behind Australia in first (29 points) and Great Britain in second (24 points).