Fuming Team Australia skipper Tom Slingsby insists he was pleased to see Spain win their first ever SailGP event, despite his frustration at failing to top the podium himself.
Australia, the three-time defending champions of the winner-takes-all $US1 million annual series, took third place at the Los Angeles event on Sunday after falling into a wind hole at the start of the final race.
Slingsby and his crew had gone 1-2-4-2-1 in the fleet racing to reach the podium decider but proved powerless to prevent the Spanish boat, skippered by Diego Botin, from crossing the line first for a breakthrough victory.
“I'm really angry right now just because I feel like we deserved that one," Slingsby said in the aftermath of the final.
"We sailed really well in the fleet races. I'm just frustrated. I know I'll calm down soon but right now it's pretty raw.”
Despite his disappointment, Slingsby - one of the world's most dominant skippers - said he was “really excited for the Spanish".
"They're a great group of people," the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist said.
"I remember our first win and there was a lot of elation. Congratulations to them.
"They're sailing really well. They're only getting better and better. It's exciting to see another contender up there.”
Botin was the first to get his 50-foot catamaran up on its foils just after the start in the tricky conditions and opened a lead of almost 500 metres before holding off his more experienced opponents Slingsby and Denmark's Nicolai Sehested, who finished second.
“We’ve been through a tough process and through tough times. This is huge for us, winning an event,” Botin said.
“We know we are behind from the top teams in many areas, and we have to prove a lot and keep our heads down, but we had massive, massive motivation to be able to pull it off today and we’re looking forward for the future.”
Slingsby leads the season standings with 17 points while Botin and Sehested have 16 apiece.
Canada’s Phil Robertson is next with 15 and New Zealand’s Peter Burling, the two-time reigning America's Cup champion helmsman who won the SailGP season opener in Chicago, has 14.
The next regatta is in Saint-Tropez, France, on September 9-10.
- with AP
