The race began with Australia seizing the early lead, capitalising on a penalty taken by Spain, the current Group B leaders. As the teams powered through the first leg, Australia held a commanding position, with Germany and the Netherlands in close pursuit. But just as Australia appeared set to dominate, the competition took a sudden turn.
A critical touchdown by the Dutch dropped them to the back of the fleet, while Australia’s flawless start was abruptly halted by a nose dive off their foils. This opened the door for Sweden, who surged ahead, quickly establishing a 250-metre lead that they would never relinquish.
By the second gate, Sweden continued to extend their advantage, crossing at 7:13, with Canada following 24 seconds behind. Australia’s earlier stumble had pushed them back into third place, but they were still in the hunt, just metres behind Canada.
However, as the race progressed into its third leg, Australia’s hopes for a recovery were dashed when they fell off their foils yet again, just moments before reclaiming second place. This mistake relegated them to third, leaving Sweden and Canada to battle for the top two spots.
Sweden’s flawless performance continued through the final gate, where they passed cleanly at 12:10. They cruised to a well-deserved victory, crossing the finish line in 15:02, an impressive result after several near-misses in previous races. Canada followed 49 seconds later, solidifying second place, while the Netherlands narrowly edged out Australia to take third. Spain, plagued by penalties early in the race, finished in fifth, and Germany, unable to recover from a slow start, brought up the rear.
For Sweden, this win was a testament to their skill, having come so close in past races. Australia’s loss, meanwhile, highlights the unpredictability of the competition, they won the race just 10 minutes ago, and set the stage for more drama in the final races of the day.
