DS Automobiles SailGP Team France came home from the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix with a 4th-place finish that carries real weight. A weekend shaped by cancelled racing, shifting forecasts, and a pressure-laden debut from a new crew member made the result all the more meaningful for the French squad. They currently sit 5th in the overall championship standings, though only a handful of points divide them from the teams in 3rd and 4th, leaving the fight for a Grand Final berth wide open.
Saturday was effectively wiped from the championship record before meaningful competition could begin. SailGP had opted to deploy the 24-metre wing, but gusts reaching 35 knots at crane height made launching the F50s an enormous challenge. Only three boats completed demonstration runs, and to protect sporting fairness across the entire fleet, the governing body chose not to award championship points for the day.
Sunday told an entirely different story. All twelve teams launched under bright sunshine into winds averaging around 15 knots, racing through the striking corridor between the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. Teams competed with the 27.5-metre wing, and although pre-event forecasts had pointed to lighter air, the breeze built well beyond those predictions as the day progressed, placing serious physical demands on every crew out on the course.
DS Automobiles SailGP Team France put together a measured day on the water. They crossed in 4th in the opening race, dropped back to 8th in Race 2, then recovered to finish 6th in the third and final race. The aggregate of those three results was enough to secure 4th place overall at the event. The Australian team took the win, continuing what has been a commanding run of form throughout the season.
The final race brought additional drama when a collision involving the United States, Italian and Brazilian teams drew the umpires' attention. Following their review, both the U.S. and Italian teams received penalties.
New York also marked the SailGP debut of Enzo Balanger, who stepped into the wing trimmer role for the French squad. The 2025 Moth World Champion and K-Challenge Akademy sailor was thrown in at the deep end, with no official training day available and demanding conditions waiting on race day.
Driver Quentin Delapierre reflected on both the result and Balanger's contribution: "This was a very positive result for the team. Enzo did an excellent job in his first SailGP event. He was very well supported by the entire group and adapted quickly to the role. Finishing 4th in New York keeps us in a strong position in the overall standings and allows us to continue building for the rest of the season. Once again, it was a unique weekend. Yesterday, the weather heavily impacted operations, and even today the forecast kept evolving right up until the last minute. But that's also what makes SailGP so special – you have to adapt constantly. Despite everything, we delivered a strong day of racing and brought home a solid result for the team."
Balanger was candid about just how absorbing the experience had been: "I would have signed up immediately for a 4th-place finish in my first Sail Grand Prix. I was so focused on my role and on making the boat work properly that I barely had time to take in what was happening around me. Seeing twelve F50s launching off the line together is something incredible to experience. The team did everything possible to help me adapt as quickly as possible, and I'm grateful for the trust they placed in me. The conditions turned out to be more demanding than expected with the large wing, but we put together a strong day and I'm very happy to have contributed to the result."
Despite a series of crew changes and adjustments in recent weeks, DS Automobiles SailGP Team France has kept finding ways to challenge at the front of the fleet. The New York result keeps the team in the championship Top 5, and with the gap to 3rd place slim, the French squad has every reason to push on through the remainder of the season.
RANKING MUBADALA NEW YORK SAIL GRAND PRIX 1. BONDS FLYING ROOS, Tom Slingsby 2. EMIRATES GBR, Dylan Fletcher 3. NORTHSTAR, Giles Scott 4. DS AUTOMOBILES SAILGP TEAM FRANCE, Quentin Delapierre 5. ARTEMIS, Nathan Outteridge 6. US. SAILGP TEAM, Taylor Canfield 7. ROCKWOOL RACING, Nicolai Sehested 8. EXPLORA JOURNEYS SWISS, Sébastien Schneiter 9. RED BULL ITALY, Phil Robertson 10. MUBADALA BRAZIL, Martine Grael 12. LOS GALLOS, Diego Botin 13. BLACK FOILS DNS
PROVISIONAL RANKING ROLEX SAILGP CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON 2026 1. BONDS FLYING ROOS, Tom Slingsby – 55 pts 2. EMIRATES GBR, Dylan Fletcher – 44 pts 3. US. SAILGP TEAM, Taylor Canfield – 36 pts 4. LOS GALLOS, Diego Botin – 34 pts 5. DS TEAM FRANCE, Quentin Delapierre – 32 pts 6. ARTEMIS, Nathan Outteridge – 29 pts 7. GERMANY BY DEUTSCHE BANK, Erik Heil – 23 pts 8. ROCKWOOL RACING, Nicolai Sehested – 22 pts 9. NORTHSTAR, Giles Scott – 20 pts 10. RED BULL ITALY, Phil Robertson – 20 pts 11. EXPLORA SWISS, Sébastien Schneiter – 10 pts 12. MUBADALA BRAZIL, Martine Grael – 8 pts 12. BLACK FOILS, Peter Burling – 2 pts
ÉQUIPE SPORTIVE DS TEAM FRANCE SAISON 2026 Quentin Delapierre / pilote Manon Audinet / tacticienne (remplacée par Liv McKay) Enzo Balanger / 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
