Sail GP Sydney: Results & our view for Day 1

All photos by Sail GP, more at their fb page.  Live Replay posted previously here – It was fun to watch, specially the starts and reaching mark where we could envision the new AC75 side foils cutting heads from the opponents if they dare to handle the freak monos in the same way Outeridge and the rest of the F50 fleet did yesterday.
Some close calls plus avoided hits made us think ahead of what would have happened in same situation with the new AC platform.

It seems the former Monohull & Mlose Match Racing purists have abandoned their flags, as the AC75 wont be able by any chance to have those kind of crossing or sideways fights.

On the performance, light winds in Sydney and the F50s reaching 30knots at occasions, compared bared eye to Bermuda not quantum leap, if any, compared to the mighty Team New Zealand AC50 in the tacks & gybes aspects mainly. We will try to get hard data with Drummond on wind vs speed achieved.

The Sail GP competition looks good ahead, remember many have received the boats a week ago, so still too much to learn for helms like Billy Besson and the French team for instance, who showed excellent speed and will clearly improve with more hours onboard.

Fight for the title is on the logical contenders, Outteridge vs Slingby, both with previous AC50/AC45 experience.

Our impression right now is that even the AC75 prototypes might do well in those light conditions and even without a wing, but it was clear that we wont be able to witness exciting close Match Racing crossings or fights for positions, as the new AC concepts will race with a big sharp Guillotine attached to their freeboards.

Sail GP official web: sailgp.com/races/sydney/
Results below gathered from separated race results: /sailgp.com/standings/