Two sailors were injured in a severe crash during the Auckland leg of Sail Grand Prix, prompting race abandonment on day one. The incident involved the Black Foils SailGP Team, led by Peter Burling, and the DS Automobiles SailGP Team France, skippered by Quentin Delapierre, when their boats collided on Race Day 1 at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland. SailGP reported that two sailors received treatment and are in stable condition, with all other crew members accounted for on board.
The collision occurred in Race 3, shortly after the start on the blustery reach to the first mark, with winds around 32 km/h observed in the footage. Both teams began near the leeward end of the line. On the first leg, boat speeds reached up to 93.7 km/h (about 50.5 knots). Competitors described the wind as gusty and highly shifting. The New Zealand boat initially sat to windward of the French boat, but then slid sideways, pitching the hull toward the wind, spinning to windward, and nosing upward as it tumbled. The New Zealand port (leeward) hull rose during the slide.
The French team faced little time to react, and their port hull struck the New Zealand starboard hull near the shroud. The French crew acted quickly to step across the boat and check on the New Zealand sailors.
The start of the race is visible around 52 minutes into the Day 1 video.
We’ll share updates as they become available. Our thoughts are with everyone involved in this incident, including the injured sailors.
