Los Gallos fight back in Germany to claim another SailGP podium

The Spain SailGP Team fought back from the rear of the fleet to win the decisive final fleet race and secure a place in the Grand Final.

The Spanish team once again showed why they are among the most feared teams in the Rolex SailGP Championship when the pressure is on. The Spain SailGP Team secured its place in the Grand Final of the Germany Sail Grand Prix with an impressive comeback in Sunday’s most decisive race and, although they were unable to claim a third consecutive victory this season, they still earned a well-deserved third place in a final decided at an unusual last mark in almost no wind.

The second day of racing began with Spain slightly off the pace at the start of Race 4 on a highly changeable racecourse. The Black Foils led from start to finish, while Los Gallos and France battled for second place. Just past the halfway point of the fourth race, Diego Botín’s crew found an excellent position on the course to move back up the fleet and finish second, reaching a top speed of 93 km/h in the process. The result brought Spain another step closer to the final.

The fifth and final fleet race, the most decisive of the weekend for the Spanish team, produced one of the standout moments of the Grand Prix: Los Gallos started from the back row of the fleet but found a gap that put them into first place by the starting line. From there, Spain gave their rivals no opportunity to respond, steadily extending their lead throughout the race before crossing the finish line in first place.

France, which had spent the race fighting for a spot in the final, suffered a puncture on the way to Gate 5, dropping to sixth and out of contention. With the victory, Spain secured its place in the Grand Final, keeping alive the possibility of completing a hat-trick of consecutive wins following victories in Halifax and Portsmouth.

The Grand Final of the Germany Sail Grand Prix was raced in foggy conditions off Sassnitz. Australia, the overall championship leader, made an excellent start and quickly opened up a significant gap over the rest of the fleet.

Spain, once again forced to fight its way back, had to take a completely different tactical approach from the other teams on the way to the second mark in an attempt to close the gap. The final section of the race became a trap for several teams: Canada, New Zealand and Spain were all left almost stationary at the final mark, with barely enough wind to complete the leg.

Spain came close to taking second place, but the lack of speed in this section ultimately left the team in third. The podium position was confirmed after the Black Foils received a penalty close to the finish line.

Los Gallos were therefore unable to secure a third consecutive win this season, with victory instead going once again to Tom Slingsby and the Bonds Flying Roos, the championship leaders.

With this result, the Spanish team remains second in the overall Rolex SailGP Championship standings, on 62 points, 14 behind Australia, which now has 76 following its victory in Sassnitz. Artemis, helmed by Nathan Outteridge, sits third on 53 points.

The next event in the championship will take place in Valencia on the 5th and the 6th of September, marking the tenth Grand Prix of the season. It will also be the Spain SailGP Team’s home event this year, with Los Gallos racing in front of their home crowd. Tickets for the Spain Sail Grand Prix are already available at tickets.sailgp.com/valencia.