Slingsby's SailGP Starting Masterclass - KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix Analysis Day 1 Analysis
by Mark Jardine 8 Feb 17:08 UTC
8-9 February 2025
Australian SailGP team - Race Day 1 - KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix - Sydney, Australia - February 8, 2025 © Bob Martin/SailGP
The reaching starts in SailGP make for entertaining viewing and, with just 400 metres until the first mark bear away, they are often critical to a race result.
Get away cleanly, and you're free to make the best tactical decisions on the first downwind leg. Round the leeward gate first and you can then control the fleet on the upwind leg.
Let's take a look at the starts on the first day of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix, held just off Shark Island in Sydney Harbour.
Four races were held in a good breeze allowing us to see what tactics work best.
The first race sees France use opportunity to find pole position at the leeward end of the start line.
As the countdown hit zero, the French are actually two boat lengths back from the line, but they have pace as the majority of the fleet are slightly early, and the Spanish create a gap for them as they and the Australians above them head up.
The French then come in with pace, securing the inside line for the bear away at the first mark.
Race 2 sees some of those at the windward end misjudge their time on distance, giving the Australians a clear run at the line, and within seconds they are two boats length clear of the fleet. The boats at the leeward end are much slower off the line this time, so they were easily rolled by Australian F50 and the Brits just behind them.
The third race is much tighter, but once again the Australian team, helmed by Tom Slingsby, judge their time on distance perfectly, this time at the leeward end.
More boats are at pace on the line in this race, making for a tighter fleet at the bear away, but Slingsby's inside line proves decisive and the Flying Roo's going on to take the win.
The final race of the day is the tightest of the lot, but once again it is Tom Slingsby's Australian team who combine pace with time on distance to break clear of the fleet.
Note how the pack to leeward of the Australians are pointing slightly high, leading to them being slower off the line, while the pack to windward are around a half boat length back, giving Slingsby and his team the space to power away, leading at the first mark again and going on to take the win.