SailGP Auckland crash injures two as Black Foils and France collide

Boats travelling at roughly 90-93 km/h converged toward Mark 1 off Wynyard Point and the Black Foils F50 struck DS Automobiles Team France in Race 3 of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix on 14 February 2026, leaving both boats severely damaged and racing suspended for Day 1. The incident happened as the 13-boat fleet - the first time all teams raced together in Auckland - merged on a 500 metre sprint leg.

Two crew were evacuated from the water by the SailGP safety team and taken to Auckland hospitals. Black Foils grinder Louis Sinclair suffered compound fractures to both legs, and DS Team France strategist Manon Audinet was thrown into the wheel and sustained abdominal injuries; at least one report described the pair as stable after initial treatment. SailGP confirmed both sailors were hospitalised following the collision.

Peter Burling, named as the Black Foils driver in official team material and also one of the team co-CEOs alongside Blair Tuke, has described a technical sequence that preceded the crash. Burling told Sail-World that his boat “hit a system limit when we were high on the foil” and that the limit “drastically escalated the situation,” forcing what he called “a pretty evasive action to avoid the Italians.” Burling and Tuke later posted messages thanking supporters as the team begins repairs.

Race conditions compounded the risk. Sail-World footage and event reports describe shifty, very gusty winds in Waitematā Harbour as the fleet reached on starboard, and one detailed account placed the impact with about 200 metres to sail on the 500 metre sprint leg. Video coverage on the Sail-World YouTube channel recorded the sequence and, at the time of the snapshot, had drawn tens of thousands of views as viewers watched the high speed convergence that preceded the crash.

Both F50s were described across reports as catastrophically damaged and were unable to race on Day 2 of the Auckland Grand Prix. Salvage crews were on scene surveying and clearing wreckage of the Black Foils boat captioned in images as Amokura. Umpires handed Black Foils an eight-point penalty for causing the incident, a ruling reported by Sailingtoday while a wider SailGP review continues into causes and culpability.

Teams and rivals responded publicly in the days after the crash. Burling thanked fans and rescuers, saying, “Thanks to everyone for the support during this tough period,” and adding, “we’re really feeling the aloha from all the messages we’ve had, and that helps bind us together as we pave a way forward.” Quentin Delapierre for DS Team France said, “My concerns are with Manon and Louis - we support them and wish them a safe recovery,” and described gratitude for the professionalism of the league and teams that handled the rescue. Taylor Canfield, reflecting on the on-water shock, called it “a heart stopping moment” and highlighted concerns about crowding on compact courses.

A formal SailGP review is now under way to examine the foil system limit Burling described, the eight-point umpire decision, and whether course configuration or the packed 13-boat format on Waitematā Harbour requires rule or safety changes before the series resumes.