Day 1 14/02/2026 – Major crash takes New Zealand and France out of ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix
Opening day of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland was cut short after two fleet races, due to a catastrophic collision between home-team Black Foils and DS Team France. Two athletes have been taken to hospital in stable condition, to be treated for their injuries. All other crew members have been cleared of injuries.
Photo: Simon Bruty for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
The crash occurred at the beginning of fleet race three, when the Kiwis appeared to lose control of their F50 catamaran at high speed, veering sharply in front of the French. The Black Foils F50 platform collapsed in the incident, as France’s F50 collided on top of the Kiwis’ hull.
DS Team France driver Quentin Delapierre said: “I think both teams are quite okay. I want to give my thoughts to the New Zealand team and also to my teammates – this was tough for everyone on both teams.”
Delapierre continued, “On the incident itself, I can’t really say anything. Everything happened so quickly – it’s still super cloudy in my head and I haven’t reviewed the footage or spoken to the umpires.”
Photo: James Gourley for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
Thirteen international teams hit the startline for the first time in SailGP history – going head to head on one of the closest racetracks of the 2026 Season calendar in gusts up to 35 km/h. Teams were equipped for top speeds with the 18-meter wingsail, high-speed titanium T-Foils and rudders.
The Bonds Flying Roos picked up where they left off last season in Auckland, racing to victory in the opening fleet race of the day. It was a strong start for Peter Burling’s Black Foils, who clocked two podium scores before their untimely crash – finishing third in fleet race one and winning the second, much to the delight of cheering home fans.
BONDS Flying Roos driver Tom Slingsby said, “It was a very tricky race course. That wind direction is the one here that doesn’t leave much space, so we knew it was going to be tight. Coming into the first mark, you’re getting hit by a lot of bullets of wind and then it goes light, and it’s hard to read the breeze across the track. It was fun racing when everything was going well, but then you’re just trying to stay out of trouble and get the best result you can.”
Teams battled unpredictable shifts across the course, with SailGP’s largest-ever purpose-built Race Stadium disrupting the breeze and creating tricky foiling conditions at the bottom of the track.
Defending Rolex SailGP Champions Emirates GBR had a mixed day – struggling at the back of the fleet to finish 11th in race one, but turning around their performance to take second in race two. Emirates GBR driver Dylan Fletcher said, “It was very difficult conditions, but to be honest, it was a lot of fun until the incident. We had a terrible first race, didn’t sail very well. We finally got our act together, and felt like we were coming good. It was shifty, wacky conditions, like Mario Kart out there.”
Photo: Simon Bruty for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
A number of teams struggled with technical issues, including Northstar SailGP. Driver Giles Scott said, “We broke one of the wing controllers on the port side, so we were a bit compromised by that at the end of the first race. Things basically spiraled from there in that second race for us. It gave us a pretty bad run into the start, put us out the back, then just out the back door.”
After two fleet races, France top the event leaderboard – tied with Australia on 17 points each. Spain sit third with 12 points. Investigation into the incident between New Zealand and France is ongoing, with salvage to both team’s F50 catamarans ongoing.
Event standings after day 1
DS Team France – 17 pts
BONDS Flying Roos – 17 pts
Los Gallos – 12 pts
Black Foils – 10 pts
Emirates Great Britain – 9 pts
ROCKWOOL Racing – 9 pts
Artemis – 8 pts
Germany by Deutsche Bank – 6 pts
Mubadala Brazil – 4 pts
Switzerland – 3 pts
United States – 3 pts
NorthStar – 1 pt
Red Bull Italy -1 pt
Day 2 15/02/2026 – Bonds Flying Roos reign in Auckland as split-fleet debut delivers high-speed drama
Mastering the wind and the waves, Australia’s Bonds Flying Roos have once again reigned supreme in the City of Sails. Sealing their victory in a dramatic, rain-soaked Final on Auckland’s Waitematā Harbor, the Aussies held off fierce pressure from Emirates GBR and Spain to secure their second consecutive victory in New Zealand.
Photo: Simon Bruty for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
The Final saw the fastest racing of the day, with gusts of up to 45 km/h propelling the league’s top teams to speeds in excess of 90 km/h. Los Gallos nailed the start and led early, while Emirates GBR split from the pack in a bold tactical move and surged late – overhauling the Spanish team on the line to take second place.
Tom Slingsby said, “The start was literally about staying on our feet and out of trouble. The Spanish did that well and kept it close, but we managed to make an overtake at the top mark. It was a great race from our end — close, with overtakes — and we were lucky to get there at the right time.”
The event win marks the first for three-time Rolex SailGP Champions Australia since last season’s triumph on the same waters (January 2025). Australia now overtakes Emirates GBR on the overall standings, tied on points (17 each) with Emirates GBR.
Photo: Andrew Baker for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
With strong winds forecast, SailGP adopted split-fleet format for the first time in racing – sorting the 11 competing teams into two groups – Group A and Group B – to compete in four split-fleet races, followed by a three-boat Final. More space didn’t mean any less action, as top-end conditions, flat waters and unpredictable shifts put teams through their paces.
Emirates GBR snatched victory in opening Race 3A, with Dylan Fletcher’s crew edging out Giles Scott’s NorthStar at the line in a high-speed showdown on the Waitematā Harbour. Driver Dylan Fletcher said, “It was great to be racing in big breeze and show what these boats are capable of. It felt like we sailed in the stronger breeze all day. We had the bigger jib on and then it really piped up — there were some pretty loose moments out there.”
Germany by Deutsche Bank, who had flown off the start and led early, rounded out the podium after a near-capsize on leg five dropped them back to third. NorthStar briefly topped 102 km/h – just shy of SailGP’s all-time speed record – underlining the intensity of the race.
Driver Giles Scott said, “Yeah, today was a much better day. We feel like we sailed pretty well and probably left a little bit out there, which is always the way. In flat water everyone is pushing hard, and if you get a little bit too high on the ride, the foils can ventilate and skid.”
Group B came out firing, with the BONDS Flying Roos rebounding from a messy start to win ahead of Artemis SailGP in second and the U.S. SailGP Team in third. Race 4A went the way of Emirates GBR, while the U.S. SailGP Team put on a masterclass to win the final fleet race of the day (4B) with a 200-meter lead.
It marked a statement performance from the Americans, who controlled the race from the gun to the finish line. ROCKWOOL Denmark were unable to complete the race due to board issues, but there was no stopping the U.S. charge as they sealed an emphatic win to end the day. Driver Taylor Canfield said, “I’ve been saying since Perth, we’re feeling better in the breeze now. To put two really good races together today and come away with a race win in the last one is awesome. We’re proud of how we sailed, start to finish, and how we got off the line.”
The ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix saw mixed results for a number of teams – including those who struggled to adapt to the adjusted format on day two. Germany by Deutsche Bank driver Erik Heil said, “I mean, there’s still a lot left in the tank. I would say it wasn’t the nicest weekend to look back on in terms of how much we wanted to improve versus how much we actually did. But we did make some progress, and in the end that’s a positive. We’ve identified a few priorities heading into Sydney, so there’s plenty to work on.”
Photo: Felix Diemer for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP
As the Rolex SailGP Championship looks ahead to its most established venue – the KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix – assessment into the damage onboard New Zealand and DS Automobiles Team France’s F50 catamarans continues, with work plans being finalised between New Zealand and SailGP Technologies in the UK.
The KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix is set to unfold over two days of racing, February 28-March 1, 2026. Limited tickets remain – find out more at SailGP.com/Sydney.
