Wow, what an incredible conclusion to the 2024 SailGP season! The first two fleet races determined the winner of the San Francisco leg, setting the stage for the top three ranked teams to compete for the winner-takes-all $2,000,000 prize. The stakes were high!

Early in the day, it seemed like Team Australia, New Zealand, and France would advance to the final race. However, a mishap at the last mark of the first race saw the French team collide with Team Denmark, narrowly avoiding a capsize. This collision caused significant damage to the French boat, preventing them from competing in race 5. The penalties from the accident also knocked them out of contention for the final race.

So, it was Team Australia, New Zealand, and—surprise—Team Spain, who had finished last in the SailGP 2023 season, advancing to the final. Team Spain had a fantastic start, being the first to pass the crucial Mark 1. They ran an excellent race, withstanding pressure from the three-time defending champions, Team Australia. Team Australia nearly caught them but then fell off the foils. On the second-to-last leg, they got close again to Spain, who then had a mishap at the last mark, also falling off the foils. The short final leg would decide it all. Despite Australia closing in, Team Spain crossed the final gate first!

What a remarkable underdog victory—big congratulations to Team Spain! Congrats!

Here’s a selection of today’s images, more are in my SailGP 2024 gallery.

Reserve the date: My San Francisco Open Studios is October 4-6, Yosemite Place, Studio 290!