DS Automobiles SailGP Team France holds joint third in the overall Rolex Championship standings heading into the next round, a result worth noting given that the squad did not race in Sydney at all.
The KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix was claimed by the US SailGP Team in their first-ever event victory, but for the French outfit the Australian stop served an entirely different purpose. With their F50 still undergoing repairs following the collision that put both DS Automobiles Team France and the Black Foils out of action at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland, the team converted what could have been a lost weekend into a disciplined block of observation, strategic review, and partner engagement. Much of the squad was on the ground in Sydney, including Manon Audinet, keeping the team's collective momentum alive despite the absence from the water.
Under the championship rules, the team received five compensation points for the Sydney event, enough to keep them locked in joint third on the provisional standings, level with Taylor Canfield's US SailGP Team on 20 points. Emirates GBR leads the season with 28 points, skippered by Dylan Fletcher, while Tom Slingsby and the Bonds Flying Roos sit second on 25 points.
Quentin Delapierre, driver of the French F50, was measured but confident in his assessment. "We're coming out of what happened in Auckland and Sydney in a fairly good position. There's no need to panic. We just need to keep doing what we're doing, calmly, and things will go very well," he said.
Far from sitting idle, the French team embedded themselves inside the competition. Athletes spent time on the water, in the coach booth, and within the race operations hub, watching how rivals approached tactical decisions and any technical innovations on display. Light winds across the Sydney weekend brought particular techniques into sharp relief, and Delapierre took careful note.
"The team had a very instructive weekend in Sydney. We were able to study the competition, look at innovations and what has been implemented," he explained. He pointed to the increased use of both boards in light air, as well as new methods for securing last-minute race engagements, as notable takeaways. The coach booth, he suggested, would only grow in importance at forthcoming events. "Their input can often mean gaining two or three places and saving a race."
On Saturday, Delapierre went on board with SailGP commentator Lisa Darmanin to analyse the racing from inside the racecourse itself. The following day he was positioned in the coach booth with Philippe Presti, working through scenarios as though the team were actively competing. "We really put ourselves in race mode as if we were competing. We rehearsed tactical scenarios and tested our communication systems. The objective is that everything is perfectly dialled in for Rio and that we're immediately in the fight," he said.
The weekend also saw strong activity with team partners. The squad hosted an exclusive L'Oréal Group dinner at their Sydney base, bringing together guests and partners in a private setting. ALL Accor staged an activation on Manly Beach where SailGP athletes traded their foils for surfboards alongside Australian surfing icon and world champion Sally Fitzgibbons. Crews shared waves and time together in what was described as a convivial but high-performance atmosphere, providing a sporting interlude before the intensity of racing on Sydney Harbour resumed.
The full presence of staff and a large portion of the crew, Manon Audinet among them, helped sustain the connections that hold the broader team ecosystem together, reinforcing the group's collective dynamic through what was, in racing terms, a forced pause.
Back in the workshop, technical crews continue to work in close coordination with SailGP on the repair of the French F50, with the shared goal of returning the boat to competition in the best possible condition for both safety and performance. Ahead of the Rio Sail Grand Prix, the team's focus will centre on data analysis, strategic preparation, and refining the communication and performance processes that Delapierre has been rehearsing throughout the Sydney weekend.
KPMG SAIL GRAND PRIX | SYDNEY, EVENT STANDINGS 1. US SAILGP TEAM, Taylor Canfield 2. EMIRATES GBR, Dylan Fletcher 3. LOS GALLOS, Diego Botin 4. RED BULL ITALY, Phil Robertson 5. BONDS FLYING ROOS, Tom Slingsby 6. ROCKWOOL RACING, Nicolai Sehested 7. MUBADALA BRAZIL, Martine Grael 8. GERMANY BY DEUTSCHE BANK, Erik Heil 9. ARTEMIS, Nathan Outteridge 10. SWITZERLAND, Sébastien Schneiter 11. NORTHSTAR, Giles Scott DS AUTO TEAM FRANCE and BLACK FOILS DNS
NB: DS Automobiles Team France and the Black Foils missed the KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix due to damage sustained to their F50s following their collision at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland.
ROLEX SAILGP CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON 2026, PROVISIONAL STANDINGS 1. EMIRATES GBR, Dylan Fletcher, 28 pts 2. BONDS FLYING ROOS, Tom Slingsby, 25 pts 3. US SAILGP TEAM, Taylor Canfield, 20 pts 4. DS TEAM FRANCE, Quentin Delapierre, 20 pts 5. LOS GALLOS, Diego Botin, 16 pts 6. ARTEMIS, Nathan Outteridge, 15 pts 7. RED BULL ITALY, Phil Robertson, 11 pts 8. ROCKWOOL RACING, Nicolai Sehested, 11 pts 9. GERMANY BY DEUTSCHE BANK, Erik Heil, 10 pts 10. NORTHSTAR, Giles Scott, 6 pts 11. MUBADALA BRAZIL, Martine Grael, 5 pts 12. BLACK FOILS, Peter Burling, 2 pts 13. SWITZERLAND, Sébastien Schneiter, 1 pt
