A dramatic high-speed collision between two F50 catamarans forced the complete abandonment of racing on the opening day of the Auckland SailGP event, leaving one sailor with serious leg injuries and another requiring medical treatment.
Chaotic Collision Halts Competition
The incident occurred during Saturday's third fleet race when the New Zealand boat appeared to lose control, dipping into the water directly in front of the French vessel. French driver Quentin Delapierre was unable to avoid the collision, resulting in the French catamaran riding over the New Zealand boat and causing severe structural damage to both high-performance craft.
Serious Injuries Reported
The New Zealand team confirmed that grinder Louis Sinclair sustained compound fractures to both legs and was receiving hospital treatment. A sailor from the French team was also injured but was reported to be in stable condition following the incident.
Television footage of the collision showed the New Zealand boat lifting and heeling at speed, causing its rudder to rise out of the water moments before impact. The violent nature of the crash sent shockwaves through the sailing community, with World Sailing posting footage of the incident on social media with messages of support for both teams.
Racing Cancelled Amid Safety Concerns
Organisers immediately cancelled the third race and made the decision to abandon all further competition for Saturday. The dramatic incident overshadowed earlier results that saw Australia win the first fleet race and New Zealand claim victory in the second.
"I think everyone, both team New Zealand and us, are pretty shocked," said French driver Quentin Delapierre. "Full support to Team New Zealand and my teammates. Hopefully we'll recover from this. Everything happened so quickly, it's pretty cloudy in my mind."
Extensive Damage to Both Vessels
Delapierre provided a sobering assessment of the damage, describing it as a "complex situation" that would require careful analysis. "I think the New Zealand boat is pretty much destroyed, and our boat - the port hull is in bad shape," he told the New Zealand Herald.
The French driver expressed doubt about either team's ability to compete on Sunday, stating: "We'll see what happens for tomorrow. I don't think we'll be able to race, but anything is possible, so we'll see."
Safety Questions Resurface
The Auckland collision comes just weeks after athletes called for SailGP to consider widening its courses following a crash between New Zealand and Switzerland during the Perth event last month. In that incident, New Zealand driver Peter Burling received demerit points on his super sailing licence.
The league now features 13 boats - more than double the number from its inaugural 2019 season - all competing for limited space on courses at speeds approaching 100km/h. This latest incident raises further questions about safety protocols in the high-speed sailing competition.
Australia skipper Tom Slingsby reflected the sombre mood among competitors, stating: "We sort of just got through safe and then when they called it off, we're sort of all calling in, trying to make sure everyone's OK. It's hard to really focus on results when there's a bit of chaos going on like that."
Event Rescheduling
Racing on Sunday has been rescheduled to start earlier due to forecast adverse weather conditions. The incident represents another setback for the New Zealand team, who had to withdraw from the season-opening Perth regatta following significant hull damage but had returned to competition for their home event in Auckland.
