Please select your home edition
Edition
Leaderboard FD July August September 2023

SailGP: Kiwi F50 struck by lightning during prizegiving - 1 injured.

by SailGP 18 Jan 2023 13:18 AEDT 18 January 2023
Teams take part in a practice session as the storm clouds gather over the city ahead of the Singapore Sail Grand Prix © Bob Martin/SailGP

The New Zealand SailGP F50 is currently undergoing damage assessments after the top of the 29m wing was struck by lightning shortly after the Singapore Sail Grand Prix ended on Sunday. A sailor was discharged from hospital after a night under observation.

The strike occurred when the boat was being towed back to the Tech Site and resulted in the injury of one of four athletes on board at the time.

Lightning was first sighted near the spectator Race Village, which was promptly evacuated, before hitting the top of the F50 mast.

The Kiwi crew were on shore at the time of the strike, picking up the winners' trophy for the Singapore Sail Grand Prix.

In their place, Switzerland driver Sebastien Schneiter, France strategist Manon Audinet and Denmark grinders Luke Payne and Martin Kirketerp were on board.

Kirketerp, who was touching a shroud at the time, sustained an electric shock and was immediately evacuated for medical assistance. Schneiter, Audinet and Payne, who were not injured, were evacuated from the F50 and did not return on board until after the storm had passed.

Schneiter, who was driving the F50, said: “The whole boat shut off, the wing exploded at the top and we all felt a little shock - unfortunately Martin had a bigger one.”

Kirketerp was transferred onto the New Zealand chase boat and taken to hospital. He underwent tests, which all came back clear, and was discharged from hospital after a night under observation. He will have ongoing check ups going forward, but doctors are optimistic he has made a full recovery.

Reflecting on the incident, Kirketerp said he felt the lightning strike 'go all the way through my arm and into my torso and body - it felt like static'. Luckily, the charge reduced and ‘within a few seconds’, Kirketerp felt like his body was ‘under control again’.

“I could walk and I felt clear in my head, but I was also very stunned,” he said, “even as I was getting onto the chase boat, I was feeling so much better and getting the feeling back in my hand.”

He added: “I wanted to go back and celebrate our team’s best result ever - but the doctors said no way.” Now he says he is ‘feeling good’ with a ‘little bit of soreness here and there’. “If I didn’t know what had happened to me, I’d say I was physically ready for anything.”

Attention now turns to the condition of the New Zealand F50, which suffered a ‘lot of damage’, according to Tech Team director Brad Marsh, with ‘all electrical systems going down’.

Assessments are underway but the full extent of the damage remains unknown and, with just a month to go, the Tech Team could face a race against time to get the boat repaired in time for the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix, February 18-19.

“Of course we’ve been through similar situations in the past and have had to be very creative to get a boat back on the racetrack, but every effort will be made to make sure the New Zealand F50 can be there in Sydney,” Marsh said.

Related Articles

Were the Roos Robbed in Portsmouth?
We discuss the Race 6 Penalty with SailGP's Chief Umpire Craig Mitchell The high speed, short course action of SailGP is thrilling to watch, but inevitably causes tight situations and means the Umpires have to react quickly to decide who is right and who is wrong. Posted today at 6:43 pm
A Day at the Races
What's it like to attend a SailGP event? On Sunday I went to the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth, sitting in the grandstand and filming with the usual camera I use for interviews to try and give you a taste of the action and atmosphere from the shoreside. Posted on 21 Jul
Black Foils steal Brits' home win
On SailGP Portsmouth debut It was not to be for Dylan Fletcher's Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team as Peter Burling's Black Foils cinched victory in Portsmouth, bumping New Zealand to the top of the 2025 Season leaderboard. Posted on 20 Jul
SailGP Day 2: Black Foils score an emphatic win
Black Foils (NZL) won the Final of Emirates SailGP in Portsmouth, with a come from behind win. New Zealand's Black Foils won the Final of Emirates SailGP in Portsmouth, with a come from behind win, in the Final to eclipse the home team and Switzerland. Posted on 20 Jul
Emirates GBR storm to top of event leaderboard
After Day One of SailGP Portsmouth debut Hometown glory for Dylan Fletcher's Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team as they lead the fleet after a picture perfect opening day of the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth. Posted on 19 Jul
SailGP Portsmouth: Brits nail it on Day 1
Olympic Gold medalist Dylan Fletcher led his team to top the leaderboard after Day 1 The French team broke their wingsail before the start of Race 1 and are likely to be out of the regatta before it starts. Posted on 19 Jul
Emirates GBR tops Impact League standings
SailGP team wins second focus area - Accelerating Inclusion SailGP has announced the winners of the second Focus Area of its industry-leading Impact League - Emirates GBR SailGP Team - as the home-team and defending Impact League champions get set for an epic weekend of racing in Portsmouth, July 19-20. Posted on 19 Jul
SailGP comes to Portsmouth!
We speak to the sailors ahead of the weekend The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth takes place this weekend, with the 12 teams competing in F50 catamarans close to the waterfront, where a massive grandstand has been built for the spectators. Posted on 18 Jul
SailGP: No practice racing at Portsmouth
The Practice Race was a fizzer, however the future of the SailGP fleet development was revealed. The scheduled Practice Day failed to fire at SailGP Portsmouth, after the forecast, admittedly light, breeze failed to male an appearance. The self propelled start marks were making a much better speed than the F50s. Posted on 18 Jul
SailGP Technologies officially launches
New center of excellence in technology & innovation in Southampton, UK SailGP today marks the official opening of SailGP Technologies – the global racing championship's center of innovation, design, and engineering, based out of Southampton, UK. Posted on 17 Jul
Vetus-Maxwell 2021 v2 FOOTERNavico AUS Zeus3S FOOTERNorth Sails Loft 57 Podcast