START

The fleet is running much more evenly – and more spread out than the last start. It will be interesting to keep comparing these starts and see what works, what doesn’t, what changes.

But we do see GBR and AUS continuing to favor the low end of of the line – and FRA still having control issues like the previous race…

And look! NZL actually hits a start! Maybe this is the one that brings back some national pride to a very humiliated sailing country. On the high side, ESP is going to war with FRA. Absolutely insane! Robertson (who took he same line last race) certainly does have a pair to go for the non-existent gap…

Brown neoprene all-round for both FRA and ESP at 80km/h…

ESP is gets the double-P as NZL still leads coming into the mark at 46 knots…

But look at this!!! DEN is squeezing in on this one just behind GBR! The boys are rockin’ it! It’s going to be tight!

But DEN is just a bit too far out to capture the mark zone and everyone squeezes past at just under 50 knots. Live and learn lads…

LEG 2

NZL is still leading many to think that maybe the “America’s Cup Champions” can actually sail a boat. And DEN is still in the fight as well…

Aaannnnddd, yet again, the answer is…nope. NZL starts to suck its way down the leaderboard yet again as GBR takes them after a late, sucky tack…

And now GBR collects quite a following as Ben steers bak across. BTW, take a quick look at the umpire screen. See what’s coming?

NZL takes the lead again! And pushes GBR down…but it’s definitely a marginal move that should probably have resulted in a P…

One of the great thing about the app is that you can go onboard any of these boats during the race and see what they saw – and it’s pretty clear that Burling continued screwing the pooch.

You can see here that he clearly sees GBR on starboard coming across…

And he takes no action – just stares at Ben in awe…

Then, finally realizing he’s about to go to prison, Burling FINALLY curls into a fetal position and turns he wheel…

And NZL enjoys open water again…but not for long…

As per usual – they REALLY start sucking now…burying a bow as GBR and FRA chase them down. Of course, NZL is about to up the suck about 10 fold as we come into the mark…

What the hell. Burling parks the thing right in front of a hard charging GBR..

..and lets almost the entire fleet blow by.

Some think this was intentional – to push GBR out of the top 3. I don’t think so. NZL just aren’t that good. You can go back onboard and see how low the bar is on the Kiwi boat as they scramble back and forth…

I’m convinced it was just more spectacular sucking by the embarrassing “America’s Cup Champions” pulling the most amateur move in sailing history. They are just in WAY over their heads…and unfortunately pulling great sailors down with them.

LEG 3

And now we have AUS, FRA, and ESP stepping out as once again NZL battles for the bottom of the birdcage with DEN. At least DEN has some class…

AUS starts to pull away as GBR starts crawling back…

With a really close cross between ESP and FRA…

And with a better line, ESP just pulls ahead of AUS to take the lead in this crazy race. Aas they ready to tack near the boundary Robertson tells his crew to watch for the oncoming Aussies as they turn…

And right when you think ESP is in control, Robertson almost goes overboard at the opposite hull due to the G-Forces. Let’s go onboard and take a look. He sets up for the turn and gets his crew shuffling. Countdown to turn in 3…

…2…

…1… He starts across, but the turn is really sharp. He is JUST able to grab the wheel before he goes over the side, and steers behind AUS by just a few feet (at 60 kph)…

And then he loses complete control of the boat as the flight controller is still flat on his face from the G-Forces…

And ESP is dead in the water…

I want to stop and point out something that makes SailGP a much more demanding and entertaining sport than the America’s Cup. Where the crews were tucked into the guts of the AC75 – invisible and inconsequential to the viewers – the sailors on these F50s are out in the stink battling huge G-Forces in these turns as they sprint to the other hull. This is not golf-cart driving – this is racing…with consequences. And it’s awesome.

So, now it’s AUS and FRA leading. But the interesting battle is with GBR and ESP just behind. GBR has starboard and…

GBR pulls into 3rd. An incredible comeback after the #BirdBoyz took a major dump on their windscreen (they obviously can’t even do that right)…

LEG 4

FRA goes slow and GBR turns on the afterburners. Now it’s down to AUS and GBR…

And we get the split at the next-to-last mark…

FRA is coming across in 3rd with ESP just behind. And I’m sure Ben is looking at NZL saying, “Not these idiots again.” Surely they know what starboard really means?

LEG 5

GBR is able to clear NZL – but is still just behind AUS. What a race…

Slingers is keeping the AUS boat on rails as GBR tries to match…

And out of nowhere, FRA sneaks past GBR for second…but…

Oh Billy…

With merdes flying all around, we near the last mark with ESP bearing down on FRA for 3rd…

AUS comfortably crosses the line in 1st…with GBR tailing them…

And ESP and FRA are in a bloody knife fight for 3rd right behind…for a chance at the final…

It’s a tight drag race down the stretch…with nothing in it for 3rd…

GBR crosses in 2nd as Billy stuffs it yet again, giving ESP 3rd (though it won’t be enough points for the final)…

FANTASTIC racing. It really doesn’t get better than this…

34 seconds between first and last. And 14 seconds between the “America’s Cup Champions” and last place. Not bad.

FINAL ASSESSMENT

So, overall assessment?

PRESENTATION: Technical stuff is improving such as the leaderboard on the app, etc. Still some production glitches and poor shot management, but definitely improving on all fronts. The commentators did a great job on this one mirroring the excitement of the racing, pointing out interesting things in the comms, and calling the strategies.

4 SMACKS

RACING: Another fantastic race. NZL goes from 1st to 5th in yet another humiliating showing – while pulling a couple of uberdouche moves to block GBR. Yet unlike the “America’s Cup Champions” – GBR actually comes back and roars. ESP and FRA – what a war these guys are putting on! It’s great. But it’s also clear both teams have serious boat handling issues when the heat is on. All of it makes you only want more.

5 SMACKS