Once the Canadians got into the lead they shot away from their New Zealand and Australian rivals, executing a perfect race to claim their first win with new driver Giles Scott at the helm.
It was a strong result for the New Zealand team after missing the podium races in the past two events, including an equal worst-ever eighth-placed finish in Sydney last time out.
However, it is one they will feel like was there for the taking.
The Black Foils finished second at the SailGP event in Los Angeles. Photo / Simon Bruty, SailGP
The Black Foils set themselves up well with an impressive performance on day one of the event, nailing three of their four starts to claim two wins and a second which saw them lead the event after day one.
With lighter winds on day two, the team moved to a configuration that reflected that with four sailors onboard rather than the usual six.
In the three fleet races on day two, the Black Foils had their struggles but showed their ability to navigate sticky situations.
They had to resort to aggressive match racing tactics late in the day’s opening race in their battle for eighth place in a contest that saw few teams spend time on their foils.
A better start in the next race set them up for a better result as the wind appeared to lift, while the final fleet race saw them overcome a poor start to shoot up the fleet and secure their top seed going into the final race.
However, with an all-or-nothing contest to decide the event, it came down to execution and while the Black Foils started superbly, the Canadians were able to stick with them and took full advantage when the Kiwis opened the door for them to snatch the lead.
Although the crew might be disappointed not to have gone on with the job in the final, finishing second saw them move back inside the top three for the season, which is where teams need to be at the last event of the campaign if they want a shot at the season championship.
Despite missing the event final for the first time this season and finishing fourth, Emirates Great Britain maintained their place at the top of the overall standings with 34 points. Australia sit close behind with 32 points, with the Black Foils on 29 heading into next weekend’s regatta in San Francisco.
[**Christopher Reive**](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/author/christopher-reive/) **joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.**