Please select your home edition
Edition
North Sails Loft 57 Podcast

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

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 24 Mar 10:58 AEDT
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

SailGP: Brits win French event
Day 2 of the Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez has been cancelled due to forecast thunderstorms Day 2 of the Rockwool France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez has been cancelled due to forecast thunderstorms expected to impact the area during scheduled racing. Posted on 13 Sep
ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix Day 1
Fletcher flies high on turbulent first day Day one of the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix went the way of Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team as they topped the event leaderboard after the first four fleet races of the weekend in Saint-Tropez. Posted on 12 Sep
SailGP: Brits top leaderboard after Day 1
A squirrely 15-18kts breeze opened up plenty of opportunity for aggressive tactics. Emirates GBR topped the SailGP France leaderboard after the first day of racing in Saint Tropez. The squirrely 15-18kt breeze was distorted by the surrounding high terrain, channeling the pressure and direction, caused some dramatic switching of places. Posted on 12 Sep
Riviera racing: SailGP set for Saint-Tropez return
As league confirms 2026 expansion team plans The Rolex SailGP Championship returns tomorrow - and France's famous "Mistral [wind] has turned up just in time," according to league CEO Sir Russell Coutts. Twelve national teams will hit the startline for the sold-out event. Posted on 11 Sep
SailGP: Coutts updates on new teams
It has been a tumultuous year so far for SailGP. Russell Coutts outlines the plans for Season 6. Russell Coutts: Announcement on Team 13 for the SailGP League is pending. The second team will not start in Season 6, but will start in Season 7. A training facility will be set up for use of existing teams. Posted on 11 Sep
SailGP launches new rudders
And unveils further innovations ahead of Saint-Tropez event SailGP has today announced significant steps forward in technological innovation and fleet capability, with the launch of new rudders and plans for automated foil-protection software specifically for high speed, highly-loaded maneuvers. Posted on 10 Sep
SailGP Racing on the Edge Season 5 Episode 9
Germany find their spark in latest episode of Racing on the Edge After a disastrous start to their 2025 Season - seemingly-defined by an unprecedented 12-point penalty in Sydney - the Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank have been fighting to prove themselves. Posted on 8 Sep
SailGP: Brazil and USA head for France
The damage incurred in SailGP Germany has been fully repaired for next weekend's event A big effort by the team at SailGP Technologies' facility in Southampton has seen the damage incurred in SailGP Germany fully repaired for next weekend's event in Saint-Tropez, France. Posted on 7 Sep
SailGP: Auckland event set to top 30,000 fans
Auckland likely to set new record of 30,000 fans but stalemate set to hit all Major Events. An extension to the grandstand at SailGP Auckland will help set new records. But a policy stalement between Auckland Council and the NZ Govt hangs over the 2027 hosting negotiations, and future international sporting events that could be hosted in NZ. Posted on 28 Aug
SailGP: The sky is the limit for Auckland
Auckland to set world record venue spectator audience at Rolex SailGP with 30% stand expansion SailGP Auckland will take place on Valentine's Weekend 2026 with a 30 percent increase in grandstand size to accommodate more than 10,000 fans daily in the purpose-built Race Stadium at Wynyard Point, alongside hospitality and other ticketed products. Posted on 24 Aug
Maritimo M600Switch One DesignAllen Dynamic 40 Footer