Los Gallos conquer Halifax and secure their first victory of the season in SailGP

A masterclass from Los Gallos on an epic second day of racing, where they outperformed rivals such as New Zealand, Australia and Sweden.

It took Los Gallos five finals to finally claim the long-awaited victory in a Grand Prix of the Rolex SailGP Championship. But after what unfolded in Canadian waters, it was clearly worth the wait. The Spanish team delivered a spectacular second day of racing in Halifax, producing moments that will go down in the history of the flying catamaran competition.

In the first fleet race of the day, Diego Botín’s team secured a crucial win after a brilliant start. The F50 Victoria took a bold all-or-nothing approach with a daring maneuver after entering late into the pre-start box: just before the line, Los Gallos crossed the boat to slot into the only gap available between Australia and France, taking the lead. From there, they never relinquished first place.

With those five golden points, Spain moved ahead of New Zealand, heading into the final fleet race of the weekend needing to finish ahead of the Kiwis to reach the much-coveted final. It was far from easy: they started slightly late and had to push hard upwind to stay close to the New Zealand F50. With the spirit of Rocky—or Ilia Topuria, if you prefer, Los Gallos held on and fought their way to the final mark just behind Peter Burling.

But it didn’t end there. The New Zealander used all his experience to try to slow down the Spain SailGP Team and allow the Danish boat to overtake them, a move that would have kept Spain out of the final. Spain absorbed the pressure and fought to the very last meter, literally. The photo finish confirmed that the Spanish team had secured their fifth consecutive final of the season.

The final of the Canadian Grand Prix was as intense as the previous two races. Riding the momentum, Los Gallos delivered their best performance yet, again getting off to a strong start and holding off constant attacks from Switzerland, Australia, and Sweden. The Swedes refused to give up until the final mark, after arriving level with Spain at the previous one. A flawless final leg from the Spanish crew allowed Diego Botín’s team to overtake the Nordics at that last gate and cross the finish line first. What a way to win.

Following this weekend’s victory, Spain earns ten points in the Rolex SailGP Championship standings and climbs to second place, overtaking the United States and Great Britain. Go Gallos.

The next Grand Prix of the Rolex SailGP Championship will take place on July 25th to the 26th in Portsmouth. It will be the eighth event of the season, with only two remaining before Valencia (September 5th to the 6th).