Sailing: Kiwis take aggressive approach in return to SailGP arena with solid start in Chicago

The New Zealand SailGP team won the opening race at the United States Grand Prix in Chicago. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / SailGP.

Ahead of this weekend's SailGP event in Chicago, Kiwi skipper Peter Burling noted the New Zealand team had been working on some changes to allow them to be more aggressive.

That was on full display on the opening day of racing.

In the second event on the SailGP calendar, the Kiwis ended the day in third place on the ladder – opening the event with a race win, before taking fifth and fourth to round out the day.

"That was the day one we've been hoping to have for a while," wing trimmer Blair Tuke said.

"It was good to get out there and be a lot more clinical in some areas and, hey, we're in the fight. There's still a couple of fleet races to go before the podium race, but to be in the fight again – it's been quite a few events since we've been right in the fight after day one, so it's a good place to be.

"We've got ourselves to the position where if we sail well in the final two fleet races tomorrow, we'll be in the final. It's a much better position to be in."

In all three races, the New Zealanders pushed things with the way they sailed the boat and carried out some aggressive moves around the gate a number of times. While the intent was there, the results were mixed.

It started early – on the second leg of the first race, when the Kiwis had a close call with Canada on the second leg.

The New Zealand crew got the perfect start in race one and crossed the starting line with a 20km/h speed advantage of the British. However, some control issues on leg two before the close call with Canada saw them drop from first to fourth.

They were quick to get back up to speed, though, and were able to recover and get in position to force the British boat wide around the top mark as the line the Kiwis were sailing gave them right of way.

That allowed the New Zealanders to break into the lead, which they didn't relinquish again.

The second and third races played out almost as repeat performances. After starting so well in the opening race, the Kiwis were among the back markers for the following two and had to come through the field for a decent result.

A poor mark rounding at the second gate made things more difficult for the Kiwis, as they came off the foils and lost all speed. However, sailing against the trend of the fleet and working the opposite side of the course to most boats brought some success to Burling's crew and come the last leg they were in a position to sneak in for fourth.

With right of way around the final mark, they tried to sneak under the Spanish and Danish boats and force them wide to give themselves room to steal fourth. However, the Danish boat recovered quickly and held their position on the scoreboard, with the Kiwis taking fifth.

While they had to make up ground in the final race of the day as well, it was a much cleaner race from the Kiwis and they proved they're more than capable of finding the pace to overtake. The team finished the race in third – another aggressive turn around the final gate forcing the Australian boat wide and allowing the Kiwis to beat them in a sprint finish.

However, race officials deemed the move to force the Australians wide wasn't legal as Burling pushed it a little too far and made the move with the Kiwi boat outside of the allowed area for such a manoeuvre around the gate. The penalty was that the Kiwis had to give the position back to Australia, trading third place for fourth.

It sets the team up nicely heading into Monday morning's final two fleet races of the event, before the podium race immediately after. Kiwi sailor Phil Robertson led the Canadian team the top of the ladder on day one, with two race wins.