France SailGP Team helmed by Quentin Delapierre lead Canada SailGP Team helmed by Phil Robertson and New Zealand SailGP Team helmed by Peter Burling as they sail past the New York City skyline during a practice session ahead of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix in New York, USA. Friday 21st June 2024. Photo: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP Photo: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP
Peter Burling's New Zealand crew are third after the opening day of racing at the latest round of SailGP in New York, in close touch with Canada at the top of the leaderboard.
The Black Foils were fifth and third in the opening two fleet races, before weather forced the third to be abandoned.
Burling was leading the third and final race, which was called off at the first leg, during the penultimate round of the series.
Canada, led by Phil Robertson, topped the overnight leaderboard by a single point ahead of Switzerland.
Winds raged from fickle to furious, as Canada were consistent with fourth and second finishes in the day's two fleet faces.
It was an excellent day for Nathan Outteridge's Switzerland, which picked up their third win of the season in the second race.
A stormy late afternoon forecast for the final day of the regatta tomorrow has seen organisers move the scheduled racing forward.
"With the late afternoon thunderstorms forecast, Sail GP has made the decision to bring forward its event schedule to provide the best opportunity to stage all remaining fleet races and the winner-takes-all Final," race officials said.
New Zealand lead the overall series on 83 points, 11 points clear of Spain in second.
The winner-takes-all grand final will be raced in San Francisco on 13-14 July.