Zhik Sail GP teams filled the top 6 placing at the latest event in Abu Dhabi
1st New Zealand
2nd Spain
3rd USA
4th France
5th Germany
6th Canada
Celebrating the victory, New Zealand wing trimmer Blair Tuke said: “What an amazing way to start 2024 - to bounce back like we have [this season] shows a whole heap of grit from this team. The way we’re finding our way through these light-air events has been hugely pleasing.”
New Zealand driver Peter Burling said: “It was probably about the most stressful racing you can get. We were just battling it out in the middle all day.”
New Zealand finished sixth in fleet race four, which began in chaos. Nearly all ten boats were penalised for crossing the start line early, while Australia - one of the few clear - managed to sail away with the win.
In the fifth and final fleet race of the weekend, the Kiwis narrowly secured the points needed for the podium race, hanging on in sixth just a boat-length ahead of France.
From there, it was into the podium final. The Kiwis executed a perfect start to secure the all-important inside track to mark one, increasing their lead as Spain and the USA tussled in their wake. Despite the Spanish making a late comeback on the final leg, it was New Zealand who crossed the finish line first.
Burling said, “We got a really good start in that last race, led at mark one and life was pretty easy from there.”
