Auckland: Racing has been abandoned on the first day of SailGP after a crash between two boats led to the hospitalisation of two sailors.
The collision occurred during the third of four races on Saturday when the New Zealand catamaran nosedived directly in front of the French vessel, whose crew had little time to react before their left hull cut across the top of the Black Foils.
New Zealand nose dived before the collision. Credit: SailGP
The boats were stuck together while injured crew – one from each boat – were ferried back to shore and carried in stretchers up the wharf ramp and taken in ambulances to hospital.
Australian driver Tom Slingsby saw the crash and said it was the worst he’d seen in six seasons of SailGP.
“Gut reaction is just instantly I hope everyone’s OK,” he said after racing was abandoned. “I mean, I’m glad they called off the race because we were all just super worried [and] just wanted to know everyone’s OK,” he said.
“I think it was the US boat, we were side-by-side with them, and so I was watching their bow and in the peripherals I saw the boats come together. I didn’t know how it happened, I didn’t know why it happened or anything, but I saw both boats hit, and the collision happened … That’s probably the biggest collision we’ve seen in SailGP.”
Footage of the French catamaran colliding with the New Zealand boat.Credit: SailGP
The boats collided just after the fleet passed the starting line of the third race. The Auckland event is the first with an additional catamaran as the league expanded to 13 this season.
France’s driver Quentin Delapierre said the addition of another yacht crowding the startline line may have been one contributing factor in the collision.
“It’s probably part of the equation, but it’s way more complicated than this, so I don’t want to say too much,” he said.
“It was a scary one, probably the scariest I’ve ever experienced. Full support to team New Zealand and same for my teammates, hopefully everyone is OK.”
Rescue boats were quick to the scene. Credit: SailGP
It was the second collision in as many races for team New Zealand whose boat was only recommissioned the day before racing, after an incident with Switzerland in Perth forced extensive repairs.
Spectators lined up to watch the broken catamarans as they were pulled by support boats into Wynyard Basin off Waitemata Harbour. The French catamaran was missing a substantial part of its left hull which was being dragged separately, while the New Zealand catamaran suffered far more substantial damage.
Delapierre was still hopeful that France would be able to race on Sunday.
New Zealand’s catamaran was more damaged in the aftermath. Credit: Simon Bruty for SailGP
“We’ll see what happens, for the moment it looks difficult for us to race tomorrow but nothing’s impossible so we’ll see.”
Brazil’s driver Martine Grael said she knew it was a serious incident because the tone of voice used when calling off the race was more grave than she’d heard before.
“We were just so focused on racing we kept on going. But, when we heard the tone of the voice, we knew it was quite serious,” she said. “I struggle because there’s people out there, and we know more or less everybody. I think everybody’s quite shaken because we wish the best for the sailors that are recovering.”
SailGP issued a statement following the races which read: “Following a major collision between New Zealand and Frances on day one of the Auckland Sail Grand Prix, two athletes have been treated for injuries but are in stable condition. All other crew members have been accounted for onboard.”
SailGP did not identify the injured sailors.
Australia won the first of the two completed races in Auckland and sit in second in the season’s standings after the first grand prix in Perth last month.
This masthead travelled to Auckland as a guest of SailGP.
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