Australia has become the shadow that haunts the Spanish F50 Victoria sailing team. After the defeat in Rio de Janeiro, Botín and Trittel's team fell again in the Bermuda Grand Prix final. Tom Slingsby, the Australian skipper, repeated his victory and left the Spaniards with a bitter taste in their mouths for the second consecutive event.
The key technical aspect of Australian dominance ⛵
The performance of the Australian team is explained by their precise handling of the foils in gusty wind conditions. Slingsby adjusts the angle of attack of the carbon wings with an anticipation that makes the difference at the marks. While Botín and Trittel show similar top speed, they lose time in transitions and upwind maneuvers, where controlling the foil height is critical to maintaining lift.
Slingsby, the neighbor who always wins at checkers 😅
It seems Tom Slingsby has signed up for an intensive course on how to ruin Sundays for the Spanish Armada. First in Rio, now in Bermuda. The Australian must have an internal GPS that only activates when he sees Botín and Trittel on the starting line. At this rate, the Spaniards are going to have to borrow his magic wand or, at least, let them peek at his cheat sheet for the next regatta.