Spain take SailGP day one spoils, Aussies sixth in NY
Defending series champions Spain, who won the San Francisco event in March, made it look easy despite light winds and strong tides as they took the first win on Saturday.
Competing against one of the most famous skylines in the world on the iconic Hudson River, they sailed away from the fleet and led at mark one before sealing a 14-second lead over second New Zealand on the finish line.
After a brilliant opening performance, Spain were off to a turbulent start in the second race but finished fourth, moving up from last position at the start line.
They started at the back once again in the third and last fleet race of the day but moved themselves up into the third to lead overnight on 25 points before day two of the event on Sunday.
Spain, led by Olympic champion driver Botin, are five points ahead of second-placed Denmark and France in third.
"These boats are so complicated to sail and if you get the conditions that we had today with the puffiness of the breeze, the waves made by the current and also [four people on board], then it's super tricky," Botin said.
"We managed to get a good start and keep it ... did a good job as a team".
Australia and Brazil were going head to head in the second race before Tom Slingsby's team, now rebranded as the BONDS Flying Roos after new celebrity co-owners Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds were announced on Thursday, took the win.
New Zealand, winners in New York last year, won the third race but 11th spot in the second saw them finish fourth for the day.
The race was brought forward due to a storm forecast later in the day, and started two and a half hours earlier than originally scheduled.
The global racing championship is back into action after a brief hiatus with the cancellation of May's Rio event.
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