Please select your home edition
Edition
Sea Sure 2025

SailGP: Australians drop wingsail in final seconds of race 7 pre-start

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 23 Mar 16:58 PDT
Australia drop their wingsail - pre-start - Race 7 - Race Day 2- Oracle San Francisco SailGP - March 23, 2025 - San Francisco © Felix Diemer/SailGP

The Flying Roos (AUS) broke their wingsail in the final seconds leading up to the start of Race 7 of the Oracle SailGP Regatta in San Francisco.

Conditions at the time were a rising breeze of 10-15kts - well within the capability of the 24metre tall rig.

Skipper Tom Slingsby confirmed immediately after the incident that no-one was injured. However in a reprise of the initial dismasting, involving two section of the 24metre wingsail, Slingsby himself came close to being hit, as the bottom section of the mast dropped very close to a support boat on which he was being interviewed. He saw the mast falling out of the corner of his eye and moved clear - visibly startled.

"When something like that happens, all you think about is everyone going to get through this, and fortunately, we're all safe, and that's the first priority, and now we just got to try to save the boat as best we can," Slingsby said to SailGP's Lisa Darmanin, as the remains of the wingsail topled behind him.

"It's heartbreaking. obviously," Slingsby the results and the points, what they are. We're not even concerned about that, it's just saving the boat, doing the best we can, everyone's safe, and, yeah, look, we've got a lot of work to do."

The cause of the incident is not clear. The mast collapsed just above the lower section in a similar incident to that which hit the Black Foils (NZL) in St Tropez in Season 4, causing them to be scored mid-fleet points for two events.

A frame by frame review of the video shows the after join of the bottom element of the 24metre wingsail opening slightly, immediately followed by the leading edge beginning to collapse in a very similar looking failure to what which occurred to the Black Foils' 32metre wingsail in St Tropez. There after there is a catastrophic failure as the top two elements of the wing sail topple aft and over the windward quarter, leaving the bottom section remaining upright - just.

The top two section were intact as the flew through the air but appeared to break up on impact. The wingsail would appear to be a write off.

At the time of the incident Australia was coming in from astern and to leeward of the Italian team at the top end of the starting box. The strategist for the Italians has the Australians under obervation and obviously makes a call to helmsman Ruggero Tita - who takes early avoiding action and shoots clear of the top of the start box - and is well behind the rest of the now nine boat fleet.

From ahead there appears to have been no contact between the Italian and Australians - however that would only be confirmed by an inspection of the Australian bow and the Italian's rudder. Italy continued with the race indicating there was no damage.

The incident occurred on San Francisco Bay close to where Oracle Racing nosedived their first AC72 in October 2012, causing serious damage to the platform and destroying a wingsail. Then the US team were caught in a 33kt gust trying to sail downwind. Today's condition were a lot milder, with crews able to control the foiling 50ft wingsailed catamarans. However the tide was ebbing and starting to run against an increasing westerly breeze that was building, with an advancing fogline - typical of San Francisco.

The incident cost the Flying Roos any chance of racing in the Event Final - where they looked to be on track to at least make the final cut.

Spain SailGP, skippered by Diego Botin went on to win the three boat Final, a nice reprise of their win in the 2024 Grand Final at the same venue.

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 on 22 Jul
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
Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignRS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERC-Tech 2021 America's Cup 728x90 BOTTOM