Perth SailGP Fremantle – Day One: Crashes, Comebacks and Close Racing

Perth SailGP Fremantle – Day One

Day one of racing at the Perth SailGP event wrapped up today off Fremantle, and it delivered exactly what you’d hope for — perfect weather, fast boats, and exciting racing from the very first start.

Conditions were close to ideal. A steady breeze, manageable chop, and clear visibility made for a racecourse that rewarded good decision-making without feeling overly survival-focused. From the shoreline, the racing felt close, fast, and relentless.

Race 1 – Early Drama Sets the Tone

The opening race began with a moment that immediately underscored the intensity of the racing. Early on, New Zealand’s Black Foils collided with the Switzerland SailGP Team, the sound of the impact carrying to the stands.

Thankfully, no one was injured, but the damage was significant enough to rule New Zealand out of the remainder of the event. They will miss tomorrow’s racing entirely and have also been penalised eight points — a major blow to their campaign.

The BONDS Flying Roos controlled the race from the front, dominating the fleet and taking a convincing win by a substantial margin.

Race 2 – France Control From Start to Finish

Race two belonged to France, who started cleanly and never relinquished the lead. It was a composed, controlled performance that showed just how effective disciplined sailing can be in Fremantle conditions.

Behind them, Artemis recovered well after a poor start, climbing steadily through the fleet to finish second — an impressive result in their first SailGP event and an early sign of what was to come.

Race 3 – Artemis Break Through

Momentum continued to build for Artemis in race three. A solid start and clean execution saw them take their first race win, confirming that their earlier performance wasn’t a one-off.

In a fleet this tight, consistency matters, and Artemis were beginning to look increasingly comfortable on the Fremantle course.

Race 4 – Flying Roos Fight Back

The final race of the day saw the Flying Roos struggle off the line, leaving themselves with plenty of work to do. To their credit, they fought their way back through the fleet to secure second place, limiting the damage and keeping themselves firmly in contention.

Up front, Artemis made no mistake, claiming their second win of the day and finishing day one as the standout performers.

Day One Standings

After four races, the leaderboard reflects a day where consistency paid off:

Artemis SailGP Team
U.S. SailGP Team
DS Team France

With one more day of racing still to come, the event remains wide open. Fremantle has already shown it can deliver both drama and high-quality racing — and with everything on the line tomorrow, finals day promises more of the same.

More coverage to follow after day two.