Racing at the front of the fleet in Auckland, the DS Automobiles SailGP Team France were caught in a collision not of their making during day one of the Auckland Grand Prix, leaving one crew member hospitalised and their F50 too badly damaged to take part in day two.
The incident unfolded in race three, when the New Zealand F50 lost control to windward of the French boat and swung across their path. The French team were leading the fleet and foiling at high speed through flat water when the New Zealand F50's platform pivoted to 90 degrees across their course, making any evasive action impossible. Team Manager Philippe Presti outlined what had triggered the situation: "In terms of today's weather conditions, we were racing in a south-westerly offshore breeze of 15 to 18 knots, with gusts up to 20 knots. The sea state was flat. Close to shore, during a reaching leg, a strong gust hit the racecourse. That is what triggered the situation with the New Zealanders. They became over-speed and very high on their foils. They were unable to keep their foils in the water and the rudders ventilated. Their platform then ended up directly facing us, on an inevitable collision course."
Driver Quentin Delapierre reacted immediately at the helm, but with the two boats closing at racing speed the outcome was already determined. "The New Zealand F50 lost control, which brought their platform to 90 degrees across our course," he said. "We suddenly found them directly in front of us. It was impossible to avoid. I did everything I could to mitigate the damage, but the situation was extremely complex."
At the moment of impact, tactician Manon Audinet was positioned to leeward, preparing for a gybe. The collision threw her violently forward into her cockpit with sufficient force to break the F50 steering wheel. She was treated immediately by the SailGP medical team before being evacuated to Auckland Hospital, where she underwent further examinations to rule out serious injuries, including abdominal trauma, and remained under observation. New Zealand SailGP Team athlete Louis Sinclair was also injured in the crash and hospitalised.
The state of the French F50 left no realistic path to repair before the following day's racing. Presti was direct about the extent of the destruction: "The damage is major. The hull is almost cut in two from mid-boat. The bow is completely detached from the rest of the structure. The cockpit is heavily damaged, as is the port foil. We went from 90 km/h to zero. Everything will need to be analysed. The entire structure and wing will be X-rayed to detect any potential weaknesses invisible to the naked eye." With hulls, appendages and control systems all compromised, repairs within the available timeframe were not possible and the team withdrew from day two.
The SailGP jury exonerated the French team of any responsibility, finding that the New Zealand boat's abrupt change of course had made the contact unavoidable. The New Zealand team was issued an eight-point penalty.
For Delapierre, the enforced exit was especially difficult given France's position at the top of the standings. "It was a very violent crash, the most violent we've experienced in SailGP. I give all my support to Manon, who was injured in this accident, and to my teammates who went through it with great emotion. My thoughts also go to the New Zealanders, who suffered significant damage, especially their injured crew member. I wish him a speedy recovery. From a rules perspective, we have been exonerated because the change of course by the New Zealand boat was very abrupt, making the contact unavoidable. Despite that, from a sporting standpoint, it's a tough blow. We were leading this qualifying phase. To stop like this in Auckland is a real disappointment. We will regroup and continue to move forward."
At the close of day one, DS Automobiles SailGP Team France led the provisional standings on 17 points, level with Tom Slingsby's Bonds Flying Roos. The whole team and its partners extended their thoughts to Manon Audinet and Louis Sinclair.
PROVISIONAL RANKING ITM NEW ZEALAND SAIL GRAND PRIX (DAY 1) 1.DS Automobiles SAILGP Team France, Quentin Delapierre - 17 pts 2. BONDS FLYING ROOS, Tom Slingsby - 17 pts 3. LOS GALLOS, Diego Botin - 12 pts 4. BLACK FOILS, Peter Burling - 10 pts 5. EMIRATES GBR, Dylan Fletcher - 9 pts 6. ROCKWOOL RACING, Nicolai Sehested - 9 pts 7. ARTEMIS, Nathan Outteridge - 8 pts 8. GERMANY BY DEUTSCHE BANK, Erik Heil - 6 pts 9. MUBADALA BRAZIL, Martine Grael - 4 pts 10. SWITZERLAND, Sébastien Schneiter - 3 pts 11. US. SAILGP TEAM, Taylor Canfield - 3 pts 12. NORTHSTART, Giles Scott - 1 pts 13.RED BULL ITALY, Phil Robertson - (-)1 pts
SAILING & PERFORMANCE DS TEAM FRANCE SAISON 2026 Quentin Delapierre / pilote Manon Audinet / tacticienne Leigh Mc Millan / régleur d'aile Jason Saunders / contrôleur de vol Olivier Herlédant / grinder Bruno Mourniac / grinder Timothé Lapauw / grinder Enzo Balanger / athlète de réserve Amélie Riou / athlète de réserve Philippe Presti / Team Manager Philippe Mourniac / Head of Coach Lucas Delcourt / Data Analyst
