SailGP: A look inside SailGP Technologies as the Black Foils repair progresses
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 29 Jan 20:38 PST
Black Foils stern damage, Race 1, Race Day 1 - Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix. January 17, 2026 © Christophe Favreau/SailGP
SailGP Technologies Director, Joel Marginson, takes us behind the doors at SailGP Technologies facility in Southampton, where a new port stern section is being fabricated to form part of the repair to the Black Foils F50.
The damage occurred in a collision between the New Zealand and Swiss teams, 90 seconds into the start of the first race in Season 6, at Oracle Perth SailGP in Fremantle in mid January.
The repair is a little more complex than just patching in a new stern section. Joel Marginson runs us through the comoplexities of the repair and parts involved, which will be air freighted to New Zealand. The repair will be completed at the new C-Tech facility in West Auckland.
The F50 is expected to rejoin the 13 boat fleet for practice racing ahead of the ITM New Zealand SailGP in Auckland in ten days.