It all came down to the final mark in Cádiz, Spain
The DP World Spain Sail Grand Prix delivered everything fans have come to expect from SailGP – close racing, multiple winners, dramatic swings, and a finale that literally came down to the final mark.
Emirates GBR who produced a masterclass under pressure to complete a dramatic victory from New Zealand’s Black Foils in the event final.
The opening day belonged to ROCKWOOL Racing Denmark, who mastered the light breeze and rolling chop to claim two race wins and top the overnight standings. Emirates GBR finished just one point behind, while New Zealand, Germany, and Switzerland were locked in a tight battle for third.
Sunday’s racing produced one of the most thrilling finishes of the season
After two days of fluctuating form and multiple race winners, it all came down to the final turn between Emirates GBR and New Zealand’s Black Foils.
In the deciding race, the Kiwis were chasing Emirates GBR when they split on the final leg and gambled on turning in front of the Brits. It worked, briefly – before a perfectly timed slingshot move undercut New Zealand around the final mark, deciding the result within seconds. What a dramatic finish!
“It was an unbelievable weekend for the team,” said Fletcher. “It was an unbelievable weekend for the team. We had to fight hard for it. We’d been fighting through the fleet all day, so we just kept pushing. It was a great battle with the Black Foils – they were sailing brilliantly too – but we managed to come out on top.”
For Peter Burling and the Kiwis, it was a moment of heartbreak mixed with relief. “On that final turn towards the finish, we thought we’d be able to get to the zone off the left boundary, but we ended up on a much worse angle than expected going into the last mark. We were trying to get into the zone on the inside, but the Brits managed to just get an overlap on the outside. At that point we were just trying to make something happen. Still, we were happy to secure second and extend our gap over Spain and Australia in the overall standings.”
Emirates GBR’s victory lifts them to the top of the Rolex SailGP Season Leaderboard with 85 points – the only team to win three events this season.
Strategist Hannah Mills said the timing of the win couldn’t be better ahead of next month’s Grand Final in Abu Dhabi. “It definitely feels like a really good time to get the win before Abu Dhabi. The leaderboard looks a bit different now to how it did coming into the weekend, which is great for us heading into the Grand Final. We’re super happy – it’s been a really tough couple of days, very physical racing, and tricky conditions to keep the boat flying cleanly.”
The BONDS Flying Roos slipped to third overall, while New Zealand’s Black Foils remain solidly in contention for the championship showdown.
Now it becomes about the final
With just one event left – the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix this November – the 2025 SailGP season remains wide open. After Cádiz, the message is clear: in SailGP, fortunes can change in a heartbeat, and sometimes it really does all come down to the final turn.
