SailGP: Burling injured ahead of Grand Final. Several teams ring big changes.
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 27 Nov 10:44 AEDT
Liv Mackay and Peter Burling - Day 2 - DP World Spain Sail Grand Prix - Cadiz, Spain - October 5, 2025 © Felix Diemer/SailGP
Black Foils Driver Peter Burling will miss Thursday's scheduled practice sailing session as a precaution after cutting his finger during Wednesday's practice session in Abu Dhabi.
The finger was injured while Burling investigated a misfiring dagger board on the team's F50.
Burling was taken to a local medical centre, where he was assessed and subsequently treated for an injury to his right index finger.
Black Foils Strategist Liv Mackay will drive for the team during Thursday's sailing session.
Burling will receive a further assessment on Friday ahead of scheduled practice racing, the Black Foils said in a written statement. The team has not revealed the extent of Burling's injury.
There are several other developments ahead of the $2million Grand Final of SailGP due to start Saturday in Abu Dhabi. With only Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Spain able to pick up sufficient points from the final event to be able to crack into the Last Chance Saloon line-up for the Grand Final.
The changes are being made with the clear objective of serving as a learning and shake-down exercise for Season 6, which starts in Perth on January 17-18.
Harry Melges IV, who has been mercurial on this year's TP52 circuit, helming for the Doug DeVos team, Quantum Racing. DeVos has been linked to moves to buy the US team, which has stellar investor support but has not delivered the expected results on the water.
At the age of 24 years, Melges became the youngest ever helmsman to steer a TP52 world-title winning boat. He was also co-helmsman of the USA Youth America's Cup, which finished second to Italy in the Final, and was a test sailor in the AC75 program.
The Canadian team has also made some moves, bringing in Ian Williams, a top match-racing coach and world champion, to improve the Northstar Canada team's starting performance. Both skipper Giles Scott and Williams worked together on the INEOS Britannia America's Cup program, before the team swapped out the double Gold medalist for 49er Olympic Champion Dylan Fletcher. Fletcher is also the skipper/helmsman on the Emirates Great Britain SailGP team, who lead the Season Point score by 3pts from the Black Foils. Scott subsequently joined the Northstar Canada team in a surprise move as they rolled top match racer, the stroppy Phil Robertson (NZL), and replaced him with the former America's Cup co-helmsman.
The rarely ending game of rotating helms continues - with the displaced Phil Robertson being announced to take over the Italian helm/skipper duties for the Final Event in Abu Dhabi. Robertson will have his first sail with the Jimmy Spithill-led Red Bull Italy team in Abu Dhabi. His predecessor, Ruggero Tita, is believed to have been given an ultimatum by Luna Rossa America's Cup as to whether he was in the SailGP team or America's Cup, but could not do both. The decision to leave an active sailing role with Red Bull Italy gives Tita more attractive options to do a three-peat in the Nacra 17 catamaran at the 2028 Olympics and to be co-helm on the America's Cup team with either Peter Burling or the fast-rising star Max Gradoni. Sailing as co-helms, Gradoni and Tita placed second in the Second Preliminary Regatta, sailed in AC40s.
Their attempt to upset the Kiwi team in the Final came to a wet end when they did a very spectacular, violent nosedive, turning the AC40's cockpit into a swimming pool.
A crew transfer window will take effect after the Abu Dhabi regatta and remain in place until one week before the start of the first event of the 2026 - Season 6. The rule will allow Season 6 to proceed with some stability in crew rosters across the 13 teams.
SailGP organisers are also ringing the changes - leaving the giant 29-metre windsails on the rack for the Final event and introducing the new 27.5-metre wingsail, which has not been tested in racing. They have completed the foil upgrades, retiring the old "L"- shaped foils used for high-lift light-air conditions.
The foil choice will come from a mix of high-lift light-air and high-speed elevators on the end of the T-Foil, which bolt onto the underside of the foil upright (spar).
The decision as to which foil combination is to be used is made by a broad-based Configuration committee, with the Race Committee making the call up to four minutes before the start of racing as to whether the teams will sail with a full crew of six, a minimum of three, or some option in between. It is up to the teams to decide their actual crews and functions for the race.