SailGP: Beaten below value - tough day for Team Germany after breakage on board
Tatjana Pokorny
· 18.01.2025
This was not how Erik Heil and his team had imagined their start in Auckland. On day one of the first regatta of the new year and the second overall in the fifth season, the Germany SailGP team initially got off to a good start. Then technical problems made the first day of racing in the natural sailing stadium of Waitemetā Harbour more than difficult. The team was unable to finish race 2 and could not compete in race 3.
Break on board with the Germany SailGP Team
In race one, the Germany SailGP Team was in the leading group for a long time and was able to advance to third place. Erik Heil and his crew defended fourth place until the seventh and final section on the smallest course of all league events - almost all the way to the finish. "We took a wrong turn once and got hit a bit hard," reported Heil, whose team finished in eighth place.
Race two got off to a good start after a competitive start from the front row. The crew then dropped back to last place, but were able to fight their way back up to fifth place over the course of the race. The knockout blow came in the final phase on the last downwind section in a gybe: the rudder pole broke on the German F50. "That happened two gybes before the finish, in the penultimate gybe. Until then it was extremely good, the race felt good, we were in the game," said Erik Heil.
"It was good that it at least happened in that situation, because we didn't have any boats around us. Because we suddenly couldn't steer any more," said Erik Heil, describing the dicey situation, which could have turned out very differently in a closer scenario with other teams. The technical handicap meant that the Germany SailGP Team missed out on race three.
Missed race before defensive comeback
"Our Shore team had seen a possible solution super early on. We could have repaired it quickly. But we are not authorised to carry out such repairs because it is organised centrally," said Erik Heil, pointing out the league's responsibility for the technical condition of the boats. "Then our Shore team was able to convince the tech crew that a solution would be started. The tech crew actually wanted to send us in with the problem."
After missing the third race, the German team was only able to return for the fourth race, which was unexpectedly scheduled for that day. Back in the game with a provisionally repaired boat, the crew contested a rather defensive safety run. "We cautiously tested the start and then sailed along in the defence. Once we had more confidence in the boat again, we also started a few battles, but there wasn't as much to be gained on the course with more wind as before," reported Erik Heil.
In the continuous foiling conditions between 14 and 16 knots of wind, a ninth place was achieved before the XL day programme was completed with a total of four races. Tom Slingsby and his Australian team then led the standings. The three-time season record holders shone on the home turf of their rivals from New Zealand with fifth place, a win on the day and two second places.
Favourites in front, Kiwis have to fight
In second and third place after the first four races were two other co-favourites, the Brits around America's Cup ace Dylan Fletcher and the Spanish defending champions around Diego Botin. In contrast, the top favourites from New Zealand were surprisingly slow to get going with a mixed series of 4th, 8th, 6th and a one-day win.
After the four Saturday races, the "Black Foils" were in fourth place with 25 points behind the Australians (34 points), the British (28 points) and the Spanish (26 points). Peter Burling, Blair Tuke and their crew will have to fight hard on Sunday if they want to reach the final of the top three teams in front of a frenzied home crowd.
The newcomers from Italy impressed on this first day of racing in the new year. With the support of experienced Australian wing trimmer Kyle Langford and spontaneous replacement Jason Saunders, helmsman and Nacra 17 Olympic champion Ruggero Tita and his team were initially in fifth place, just one point behind the Kiwis, after finishing third, third, seventh and seventh.
Germany SailGP Team "penalised too harshly"
The experienced New Zealand flight controller Jason Saunders is normally active for France's "Les Bleus". However, contrary to the original plans, the team led by French helmsman Quentin Delapierre was unable to start in Auckland due to technical problems with the twelfth F50 catamaran in the league. At the end of the Auckland SailGP, the French team will receive average points for the fleet in their SailGP account, as they did at the season opener in Dubai.
Despite the setbacks, Erik Heil and his Germany SailGP Team also took away some positive insights from the difficult day in Auckland: "There were also a lot of positive things in the races today: the communication and planning felt good. We were penalised far too harshly for that," said Erik Heil on Saturday evening in Auckland - early Saturday morning German time - taking stock.
