SailGP: Spain Takes the Hudson

Diego Botin's red-hot squad dominates New York and flips the leaderboard #SailGP - Spain Wins in New York - (c) SailGP With crowds packing the shores of the Hudson and a vibe that screamed summer's first party, SailGP's New York showdown delivered chaos, comebacks, and champions. The Spain SailGP Team, skippered by Diego Botin, proved their Season 4 crown was no fluke, clinching a second straight U.S. victory after already sealing San Francisco in March. Now sitting atop the overall leaderboard, they're setting the pace heading into the European leg. From Martine Grael making Brazilian history to U.S. skipper Taylor Canfield hearing the cheers through the heartbreak, the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix was peak drama. Here's how it all went down: The Lowdown Spain SailGP wins New York, their second U.S. win this season Now leading the overall Rolex SailGP Championship standings Brazil scores their first-ever fleet race win Over 10,000 fans showed up live across Governor’s Island and the spectator fleet Five different winners across six fleet races – most unpredictable race yet U.S. finishes last but finds hope in fan energy and small gains Next up: the European leg, starting in Portsmouth on July 19-20 “In the Final, You Must Go All In” Spain finds their groove, tops the leaderboard with clutch performance Spain didn’t cruise to the top—they fought through it. After a rocky middle section, Diego Botin's crew tapped into pressure-fueled focus to dominate the winner-takes-all final. They knocked out New Zealand and France in a high-stakes sprint, snatching the event win and overall season lead from Australia's Tom Slingsby. Botin's crew now owns the U.S. – and it’s not even close. Two-for-two on American waters this season. “It pushed us in the final and we are so happy to win.” – Diego Botin“ America is a special place for us.” – Diego Botin “Ticking Lots of Boxes” Brazil’s breakthrough moment, even if the final slipped away Martine Grael’s Mubadala Brazil team made headlines by winning fleet race four—their first-ever SailGP race win. They showed serious evolution, reading the course better and proving they belong. But consistency came up short. An 11th-place finish in race six dashed their final hopes. Brazil’s upward momentum is undeniable. The breakthrough's real. The next step? Sustained success. “This fleet race win is the first of a lot of things this week.” – Martine Grael “We are getting more corner vision.” – Martine Grael “We Could Hear the Fans Cheering” USA’s homecoming heartbreak, but silver linings in the setbacks The U.S. team couldn’t script a fairy-tale finish. They ended their home event last. But Taylor Canfield’s squad felt the love—thousands of fans lining the river, shouting support, and making the mission personal. Gains were small, but they were real. With two more events to go, the climb’s still possible. The grind continues. “We made gains this week, so we’ve got to keep our eye on that prize.” – Taylor Canfield “It means a lot.” – Taylor Canfield Quickfire: What's Next Q: Where does the championship go next? A: Portsmouth, UK – July 19-20, 2025. Tickets are already live. Q: Who’s on top of the leaderboard now? A: Spain leads. Australia and New Zealand round out the top three. Q: What made New York stand out this year? A: Five different fleet race winners, Brazil’s first win, Spain’s back-to-back U.S. dominance, and one of the most unpredictable lineups yet. Q: Why does this win matter for Spain? A: It flips the leaderboard, gives them momentum going into Europe, and confirms they’re still the team to beat.