All the signs were for a blast and the Race Committee split the fleet, put on the 24 Metre Wing and the heavy weather boards and rudders.
As it turned-out most of the racing was non-foiling, even with the crew reduced to four, and one race was abandoned and rerun to get just two races for each of the two Group fleets.
Group A: AUS 🇦🇺|ESP 🇪🇸|FR A🇫🇷|DEN🇩🇰|CAN 🇨🇦|BRA 🇧🇷|NZL 🇳🇿
Group B: GBR 🇬🇧|USA 🇺🇸|SWE 🇸🇪 |GER 🇩🇪|ITA 🇮🇹|SUI 🇨ðŸ‡
Group A failed to make the finish time limit at their shortened first attempt and come back for another go.
The result was the same for Tom Slingsby and the Bond Flying Roos AUS who took the win ahead of Diego Botin and Los Gallos SUI, with Peter Burling and the Black Foils NZL in third.
In the second Group A race, Paul Goodison and Mubadala Brazil started well, and there were several leader place changes, but when it mattered Slingsby was there.
Slingsby and the Bond Flying Roos took a second win, with second Burling and the Black Foils, and third Quentin Delapierre DS Automobiles FRA.
The difficult conditions of course were just the same for Group B.
The first race had a great start by Taylor Canfield with U.S. SailGP Team and Sebastien Schneiter and Explora Swiss.
At the finish the win went to Schneiter and Explora Swiss, with second Nathan Outtridge and Artemis SWE, and third Erik Heil and GER Deutsche Bank.
In the second race Outtridge and Artemis SWE took the win, second were Dylan Fletcher and Emirates GBR (6th in the first race) and third Schneiter and Explora Swiss.
The Brits have it all to do to make the final and will be hoping that the promised wind finally appears.
All that can be said of day 1 was that it was just about understandable watching on a PC screen, but the on-screen info was very poor and intermittent from leg to leg.
Hope the spectators were being kept well informed as it was difficult at times to know just what was going on, as courses were shortened and abandoned etc.
Day 2 will comprise of two more races for each of the Groups and the first two of each then competing in a Final Race to decide the overall winner . . . Same time, same place.