A high-speed collision between the New Zealand and French yachts at the SailGP race in Auckland on Saturday forced the abandonment of the day's competition, leaving two sailors injured. Louis Sinclair, a grinder aboard the New Zealand yacht, sustained compound fractures to both legs and is in a stable condition at Auckland Hospital. A French sailor also suffered injuries.
The incident occurred during the third of four scheduled races as the fleet approached the first gate at nearly 90 km/h. The New Zealand vessel reportedly lost control, spinning directly into the path of the French yacht, which then rode over the top of the New Zealand craft. Both boats were severely damaged and locked together.
French driver Quentin Delapierre expressed shock after the crash, saying: 'Everything happened so quickly, it’s pretty cloudy in my mind. I just tried to do my best to avoid the collision but obviously it happened too quickly. It was a super scary situation.'
The crash follows a previous incident in the season's opening event in Perth, where New Zealand collided with Switzerland, resulting in demerit points for driver Peter Burling. Two races had been completed before Saturday's crash, with Australia winning the first and New Zealand the second. Racing on Sunday is scheduled to start earlier due to anticipated thunderstorms.
SailGP features teams from 13 nations competing in identical 50-foot catamarans that can reach speeds of 100 km/h. Saturday's racing was suspended to allow for medical treatment and recovery of the damaged boats.
