The UK passed through the first gate at the four-minute mark, with the US still trailing 650 metres behind. The US eventually made it through the top gate, but they were 1 minute and 6 seconds behind the UK, turning the race into an 800-metre chase for the American team.v
As the race progressed, the wind slowly decreased, adding another layer of difficulty. At the 8-minute mark, the UK sailed through the third gate, while the US followed far behind, 1 minute and 3 seconds adrift. By the time the US entered the third leg, the UK was already halfway through it. Despite this, the US managed to shrink the gap to 500 metres, but the poor start had already set them back significantly.
The UK continued to extend their lead, flying through gate 3 at 13 minutes. The US, having caught up slightly, passed through the gate one minute after the UK. However, the UK pushed ahead, widening their lead once more as they sped down the fourth leg. By 15 minutes and 14 seconds, the lead had grown to 600 metres.
At the 17-minute mark, the UK passed through the fourth gate, with the US 30 seconds behind. The race increasingly looked like a blowout win for the UK, as the US struggled to get on their foils and close the gap. Nonetheless, the US did manage to reduce the distance slightly, bringing it down to 250 metres with the UK still in front.
The UK rounded the final gate at 20 minutes and 54 seconds, with the US trailing 41 seconds behind. Although the US made a final push, reducing the UK’s lead to just 100 metres, it was too late. Both teams completed their last tack, and the UK crossed the finish line at 24 minutes 16 seconds, followed very closely by the US, just 14 seconds later. The UK secured the victory, despite the US’s efforts to catch up after their challenging start.
