Race Against Time After USA Collide With Emirates GBR in Sassnitz
by Emirates GBR SailGP Team 17 Aug 06:52 AEST
16-17 August 2025
Sir Ben Ainslie, Hannah Mills and Dylan Fletcher assess the damage to Emirates GBR after Race Day 1 of Germany Sail Grand Prix © SailGP Team Emirates GBR
Emirates GBR face a race against time to be ready for the second day of the inaugural Germany Sail Grand Prix, after Taylor Canfield's USA SailGP Team collided with their F50 race boat in a port-starboard, mid-fleet incident.
The collision occurred during the final race of the day, as GBR were sailing the upwind leg on starboard (right of way). USA approached on port and failed to alter course sufficiently, striking the Emirates GBR hull and rudder. The impact caused significant damage to the British boat, the Tech Team is now working overnight on repairs in a bid to have them back on the water for race day two.
Emirates GBR Driver Dylan Fletcher said; "It was an unfortunate incident. We were clearly on starboard (right of way) for some time and they were on port. It's pretty annoying and disappointing after starting the day so well. We are assessing the damage now and hopefully the repair can be turned around so we can race tomorrow."
Strategist Hannah Mills commented "Gutted, really. We saw them coming from a long way off on port, and it's just super frustrating they couldn't avoid us. Luckily, their bow came off, which meant we weren't stuck together, and thankfully both crews were okay and unharmed."
Earlier in the day, Emirates GBR had made a strong start to the regatta. In Race 1 they nailed the start, hitting 98 km/h at the first mark, but an extra manoeuvre on the upwind leg allowed Germany to slip through, leaving the British to settle for second. Race 2 saw GBR battle back from the pack with smart gate choices and a favourable wind shift to climb six places and claim an emphatic race win. Race 3, however, proved one to forget as the team slipped to a disappointing 11th. Their day ended abruptly with the collision in Race 4.
The USA SailGP Team were penalised 12 event points and 8 season points for contact with Emirates GBR hull. The U.S. will not compete tomorrow due to the damage.
The GBR Shore Team and SailGP Tech Team will now work through the night in a bid to get Emirates GBR back on the water for the final day of racing. With the forecast promising more exhilarating conditions, similar to today, when Denmark set a new SailGP speed record of 103.93 km/h, it promises to be another unmissable spectacle for fans on shore and viewers at home. UK fans can catch all the action live on TNT Sports and Discovery+ from 15:30 BST.