Sailing: New Zealand SailGP team continue hot form to lead opening day of wild event in France

Peter Burling was in the thick of the action on the opening day of the SailGP event in France. Photo / SailGP

After a season of testing the waters, the New Zealand SailGP team have started to make a splash.

After going through their debut season in the global foiling league without an appearance in an event final and with just three fleet race wins, the Kiwi crew have found their way.

After winning the last two events, they have picked right back up where they left off, with the Kiwis claiming two wins in the first three races at this weekend's event in Saint-Tropez, France, with the fifth event of the season serving up high winds and fast action. The Kiwis have now won nine of the last 13 races.

"It was great to come away from a day like that with a couple of wins and a fourth place," wing trimmer Blair Tuke told Newstalk ZB.

"It was real windy here – at the top end of the conditions, so it must've been one of the coolest days we've had in SailGP."

With wind gusting up to 30 knots, all teams recorded speeds above 90km/h and France set a new SailGP speed record of 99.9km/h, in front of thousands of cheering fans on home waters.

There was no shortage of drama in the conditions, with the New Zealand team finding themselves amongst it in the first race in a potentially sticky situation with Australia in the sprint to the finish.

On the final upwind leg, the Kiwis were trailing both Great Britain and Australia, but two well-executed tacks in quick succession saw them overtake the Brits. The New Zealanders were then able to tuck inside the Australians, who were slow at the mark.

This meant the two were racing for the finish line at the same time. However, New Zealand had the right of way in the run home. As Australia tried to push in front, the Kiwis defended their position and the Australians lost control, nose-diving at more than 80km/h.

It was an aggressive move from Tom Slingsby and his Australian crew, met with an equally aggressive response from Kiwi helmsman Peter Burling. And after Slingsby said he would have happily given up the position and called Burling's decision "ridiculous", the Kiwi driver had his own take on the situation.

"[Australia] were obviously pushing super hard for the win. It would be very easy for Tom to slow down in that situation, concede and take a second but he wanted to push for the win so we defended," Burling said.

"Not sure what he's complaining about but definitely a bit out of line. I think us drivers may need to pitch in for anger management lessons for Tom."

While conditions were wild on the opening day's racing, it is expected to change significantly ahead of day two tomorrow, with the wind forecast to die down and teams expected to go from sailing with their 18m wing – the smallest of their options – to the 29m sail.

Tuke said they would be having to make about as big a change in gear as teams could make between race days, but was happy with how things sat for his team heading into the final two fleet races.

"The team is growing and building nicely. It's nice to have the momentum we have had in the European tour so far. It's not one thing. We've been saying it all along - the incremental gains that the team is making and are still to be had.

"It's nice to see all that hard work come to fruition now, but at this stage – halfway through the weekend – our eyes are firmly fixed on tomorrow."