DS Automobiles SailGP Team France wrapped up the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth on Sunday 26 July with two second-place finishes on the final day of racing. A steady 17-knot westerly breeze gave ideal conditions, with the fleet racing on the small wing throughout.
Spain won the event, which marked the opening of SailGP's European leg. Team France remains sixth in the Rolex SailGP Championship standings, nine points behind the top three with four events still to run.
The weekend carried significance beyond the scoreline. For the first time since the Auckland crash, the team was back with its full line-up. Manon Audinet had returned to competition in Halifax, and Leigh McMillan was back on board after several months away through injury.
Head Coach Philippe Mourniac summed up what the reunion meant. "What makes us happiest today isn't just the result itself. Since Auckland, we've had to weather several difficult events. Manon returned in Halifax and Leigh was finally back on board this weekend. For the first time in months, we had our full crew together again. Between Saturday and Sunday, we could really feel the team getting back into sync. Finishing second twice on Sunday shows that we're gradually rediscovering our rhythm, our communication and our teamwork."
Portsmouth also introduced SailGP's new Split Fleet Racing format, which will run for the rest of the season. With 13 national teams in the championship, qualifying races are now divided into two fleets before the top boats advance to a four-boat event final. The format opens up the racecourse and places greater weight on race starts and manoeuvres, areas where Team France has traditionally excelled.
K-Challenge Akademy athlete Margaux Billy made her first appearance at a SailGP event, joining the team as reserve strategist for Audinet. She completed the required safety training to earn her strategist licence and took part in all team briefings and training sessions.
"This was my very first SailGP event and, until now, I had only experienced the championship through a screen," Billy said. "I received an incredibly warm welcome. Manon taught me so much about her role and about how the team operates. The intensity of the championship is truly impressive. Earning my strategist licence was a real baptism of fire, but I'm leaving with a huge amount of experience and an even greater desire to come back."
The fleet now heads to Sassnitz, where Team France claimed its maiden SailGP event victory last season.
