The Spanish team is competing in the Sassnitz Grand Prix, the eighth round of this catamaran championship.
MADRID, 16 (EUROPA PRESS)
The ROCKWOOL Denmark team has set a new speed record of 103.93 kilometers per hour in the SailGP, the prestigious catamaran nautical circuit, achieving this figure during the third race this Saturday at the Sassnitz Grand Prix (Germany), the eighth round of the championship, where the Spanish boat has gone from strength to strength.
On the first day of racing in Sassnitz, the Brazilian team, which had literally split the boat the day before, was absent, but a French boat arrived late. Saturday began with a penalty for jumping the start for a Spain SailGP Team that was ambitious in race 1, but lost by less than a second.
This hampered the Roosters, who remained in the rear for most of the first race, dominated for a long time by Dylan Fletcher and his Emirates GBR. But at the end of the first leg, Erik Heil's Germany pulled off a surprise victory in front of their home crowd. The Roosters, at the back, battled back to finish in ninth place.
Spain then turned the tide with a great start, finishing in first place at the first mark. In a battle with the Great British and French teams, Diego Botín and company lost speed at the fourth mark, dropping to fourth place in a difficult maneuver. Spain tried everything, but finished fifth in this second race of the day.
The wind dominated the entire Saturday session, with unstable conditions that marked the races, making it difficult to choose the right maneuver. The third race of the day proved to be a carbon copy of the second: Spain got off to a good start, finishing in the lead group.
There, Denmark reached 103.93 km/h, setting its own record, beating France's previous record of 99 km/h. This third race was a real challenge, with several F50s reaching 100 km/h simultaneously. In Sassnitz, the 18-meter wing was used for the first time this season, marking the first time it had been used with T-foils.
The "Gallos," after the first three buoys, took the lead thanks to a strategic decision and engaged in a battle with Australia and Denmark to reach the final buoy in the fight for first place. Separated by a mere 10 meters, Tom Slingsby shone and won the race, leaving the Spaniards in third place and tightening the overall standings.
The fourth and final race was supposed to decide the race's prospects for Sunday, and the "Gallos" got off to a rough start, placing themselves in the middle of the pack. The race was also marred by a clash between the United States and Emirates GBR, resulting in the Americans receiving a 12-point penalty.
Amid the commotion surrounding the collision, the Roosters were patient and disciplined until they gradually recovered positions, finishing this final, fourth race in fifth place. The Australian team, Bonds Flying Roos, led by Tom Slingsby, now leads with 32 points.
