Day 1 in Abu Dhabi: A game of chess on water

The opening day of action at Abu Dhabi's SailGP season finale delivered the kind of slow-motion chess match that tests patience and precision in equal measure.

With just 9km/h of breeze at the start – barely enough to ruffle a flag – the fleet of F50s were reduced to displacement mode for much of the day, grinding around the course on three-person crews with almost no foiling. 

This was racing decided by millimetres and micro-gains rather than the high-speed drama SailGP usually delivers. New Zealand's Pete Burling, racing with a heavily bandaged hand injury, summed up the challenge facing everyone: lots of multitasking, minimal margin for error, and a day where the slightest mistake could cost you everything.

Strong performances were delivered by usual mid-to-back fleet contenders, but all eyes were further back, where the season's defining battle was playing out. Spain arrived in Abu Dhabi four points behind Australia in the season standings, needing to finish three places clear on average across the weekend to steal the final Grand Final spot. Tom Slingsby's Flying Roos, meanwhile, simply had to keep Diego Botín's crew within touching distance. What unfolded was brutal, chaotic and utterly unforgiving for both.

For the first race of the day it was Switzerland’s Sebastian Schneiter who speared away from the startline with the cleanest trigger, leading the tightly-packed fleet toward the opening mark. But in tricky displacement-mode chess conditions, nothing was stable for long. By the halfway point, ROCKWOOL Denmark and Erik Heil's Germany had threaded their way past the Swiss, exploiting better wind and cleaner lanes in Abu Dhabi's fickle breeze. Germany held their nerve through the closing stages to claim the opening race, with Canada slotting into second and Denmark rounding out the podium.

The bigger story sat further down the order. All four teams capable of winning the 2025 Championship – New Zealand, Emirates GBR, Australia, and Spain – finished in the bottom half of the fleet, a clear sign of how unforgiving this ultra-light, ultra-tactical Abu Dhabi racetrack can prove to be. The Black Foils finished in seventh, Emirates GBR limped in ninth, Australia in tenth and Spain finished dead last. Hardly the flying start Diego Botín had hoped for.

Race 2 kicked off with early start penalties for both the defending champions Spain and three-time champions Australia. Tom Slingsby and Diego Botín misjudged the startline by millimetres, with both crews forced to scrub speed and drop to the back of the pack.

At the front, ROCKWOOL Denmark and France enjoyed the luxury of clear wind and open water, the kind of advantage that's almost impossible to claw back in such marginal conditions. Phil Robertson, making his debut for Red Bull Italy, jostled with the leaders before fading slightly, while Nicolai Sehested's Danes simply made it look easy. They crossed the finish line miles ahead of second-placed France, with Team USA sneaking onto the podium in third.

Behind them, the scrap that mattered most played out at the back of the fleet. Spain managed ninth. Australia, desperate not to cede ground, squeezed past Emirates GBR right at the finish to grab tenth and a crucial extra point. After two races, the two rivals sat level on points. Meanwhile for Germany, it was hero to zero – race winners in the opener, dead last in Race 2.

Another early start penalty for the Flying Roos, this time shared with Team USA, handed Spain the opening they desperately needed. Diego Botín seized it, driving Los Gallos up into the leading pack while Slingsby's crew languished in seventh.

By leg four, Spain sat third and Australia were stone last. But Slingsby, relentless as ever, threaded his way through the chaos of the final leg to salvage eighth place – damage limitation rather than glory, but enough to keep the Grand Final dream alive.

Further forward, the Black Foils were suffering their own nightmare. Peter Burling picked up a penalty for failing to give room at mark three, tumbling from a strong position into ninth and eventually finishing 11th.

Meanwhile, ROCKWOOL Denmark continued their imperious day, claiming a second consecutive race. Sehested’s crew made it look easy, crossing the line ahead of Switzerland and Red Bull Italy to sit top of the standings after three races.

For Spain to still have a way into the Grand Final, Race 4 was the door they needed to kick down. Instead, they jumped early again – part of a triple OCS with France and Canada – and the door slammed shut.

Slingsby, after two miserable starts, finally nailed one: perfect timing from the bottom end of the line and straight into his first patch of clear wind all day. Brazil, meanwhile, exploded off the gun. Martine Grael threaded the cleanest lane, hit Mark 1 first, and looked every bit the multiple-medal champion she is.

By leg two, however, Switzerland had found extra pace and slipped past Brazil to take the lead, holding it through to the finish. Denmark, after a flawless day of podium finishes, claimed second to cement their position at the top of the Abu Dhabi standings, while Brazil hung on for third.

For the Grand Final contenders, Race 4 offered differing fortunes. Emirates GBR and Australia enjoyed cleaner races, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Meanwhile, the Kiwis took ninth as Spain imploded. Botín's crew finished eleventh, outside the points and making their job a whole lot harder tomorrow.

Saturday’s racing belonged to the mid-fleet contenders who had nothing to lose and everything to prove.

Denmark topped the standings with ruthless consistency, Switzerland sat second, and Team USA claimed third – a timely reminder of Taylor Canfield's mastery in light-air chess after a torrid season at the bottom of the leaderboard.

But the storyline that matters most sits further down the order. After four brutal races in Abu Dhabi's unforgiving conditions, the Flying Roos have opened a six-point lead over Los Gallos heading into Super Sunday. 

Three more fleet races remain, followed by the winner-takes-all Grand Final for the top three boats. Spain will need something close to a miracle to defend their title. The pressure will be immense, and with the wind picking up tomorrow, the racing should be faster.