NZ set for winner-take-all SailGP grand final

SailGP fleet on Lyttelton Harbour
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The New Zealand Sail GP team like their chances of winning the season three title at the grand final in San Francisco this weekend.

The New Zealanders go into the series decider in second place overall, but still needing a couple of good fleet race results to make sure of their place in the three-boat final.

Defending champions Australia have an 11 point lead in the competition and are the only entry guaranteed a place in the decider, while New Zealand, France and Great Britain are effectively vying for the last two spots.

The nine entries will compete in five fleet races on San Francisco harbour before the one off, winner take all grand final.

Co-CEO and wing trimmer Blair Tuke knows they still have a bit of work to do and so they can’t afford to relax.

“We’ll approach those five fleet races like we would any other weekend.

Blair Tuke and Liv Mackay on the NZ SailGP boat
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

“Good results will assure us of a place in the final and will therefore leave us in a good frame of mind and confidence that we’re sailing the boat well going into the final of the season.

The New Zealand crew has scored three regatta wins this season and is coming off a second place finish on Lyttelton Harbour last month.

Tuke expects strong winds in California this weekend and says the conditions there are similar to Christchurch.

“We really enjoy sailing there, it’s a race course that provides quite a lot of passing opportunities and it rewards sailing the boat fast and accurately… all the things that we enjoy .

New Zealand is set for its best ever result in the competition, but Tuke says they feel they’re still on a big learning curve.

He believes the one-off decider will suit them if they make the last race of the season.

“We have showed that we have raced well in that final race (during the season), it suits our sailing style.

“Our focus first is to make that final, but we back ourselves to beat whoever may get through.

“It’s going to come down to one moment or a few moments, but that excites us as a team so we’re raring to go.

To miss out on a place in the Grand Final New Zealand has to finish sixth in fleet racing with Great Britain winning and France finishing second.