The Black Foils were pinned a bit high on the course as they crossed the starting line, but were able to get into second behind Australia\u2019s Flying Roos before the end of the second leg. <\/p>\n
However, the Kiwis seemed to get out of phase with the wind late in the third leg, losing some distance and falling to fourth. <\/p>\n
At that point, it might have become a case of ensuring they secured some prize money, with only the top three teams taking home part of the US$800,000 (NZ$1.34m) event prize pool. <\/p>\n
They got back into third on the penultimate leg, before the wind completely dropped away at the final turn. <\/p>\n
The Black Foils, Canada and Spain were all forced to sail in displacement mode around the final turn, making for an oddly thrilling, low-speed shootout to the finish line. <\/p>\n
Ultimately, a late penalty for not giving room to the Spanish meant the Kiwis had to go back behind Spain, which ended their top-three hopes. <\/p>\n
Unfortunately for the Kiwis, their race in the final was arguably their worst of the weekend. <\/p>\n
But on a positive note, after there were some signs that they were getting back to the level they\u2019ve proven they can sail at among this fleet at last month\u2019s regatta in Portsmouth, this was another step forward. <\/p>\n
At a venue that has historically lent itself to fast racing with decent breeze, the Black Foils navigated things well to secure a spot in the four-boat final with a race to spare in group racing, with two firsts, a second and a third, before a fourth in the last group race. <\/p>\n
They qualified for the podium race as the top points-scoring team over the weekend with 19. <\/p>\n
Their first race on day two was their best. They shot to the front of their group with a perfect start, and the conditions allowed them to essentially sail straight to the next gate. <\/p>\n
With almost no manoeuvres needed outside of turns around marks, the Black Foils sailed a clean race to hold – and extend – their position at the front. <\/p>\n
They kept things clean in their last group race, finishing fourth as they prepared for the final. <\/p>\n
The team will now look to build on their return to the podium race over the next couple of weeks, with the league making its debut in Valencia, Spain, in a fortnight. <\/p>\n