SailGP: A stunning day in Auckland, as fans came prepared to party
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 14 Feb 06:14 PST
Black Foils (NZL) - Day 1 - ITM NZ SailGP - Auckland - February 14, 2026 © Richard Gladwell - Sail-World.com/nz
The opening day of the ITM NZ SailGP got underway with the crowd very much in party mode, right from the moment they took their seats in the massive 10,000 seat stadium on the edge of the course.
They were worked up to a state of patriotic elation, thanks to some great work by the event comperes, and that state of euphoria built in the first couple of races after the Kiwi team finished third in the first race, and then won Race 2.
In the break beteen Race 2 and 3 their enthusiasm built further in the expectation that the Black Foils has momentum, and would emerge at the top of the Points Table.
The breeze, on the Auckland shore side looked to be on the low side of the forecast, although there was plenty of action as the 13 teams jockeyed for position around the bottom mark off the Bayswater Marina. Nosedives were frequent, as the tell-tale spray flew.
However a look through the binoculars at the state of the breeze in the upper Waitemata, before the start of Race 3, was a little concerning with indications that a squall was coming through.
It didn't seem to have an immediate impact on the competitors as they lined up for the race start in the lee of the harbour bridge.
Without a look at the big screen, it was a little hard to tell when the race actually started. A fleet of 13 wingsailed foiling catamarans charging bow-on at close to 50kts, all look the same - with narrow wingsails emerging from clouds of foil-spray
The lane down the Westhaven seawall looks a lot narrower in real life, than it does on TV - riddled with graphic enhancements and banner advertising, which mask any perception of depth. The visible disruptors of the breeze are also hidden - the harbour bridge and its large concrete pillars double as wind deflectors in this direction of breeze.
So too does the surrounding high ground of St Mary's Bay, and the row of double storied yacht clubs which flank the harbour edge.
The incident itself was relatively straight forward, the Black Foils rose higher on their foils as the F50 accelerated, losing grip on the water as it did so, hanging momentarily on the edge of control, and drifting sideways like a racer taking on a bend at the speedway.
Sailing faster, they cut across the bow of the French team and looked set to collide with the Italians, before losing what grip they had on the Waitemata, and did a hard right turn across the bow of DS Team France, with the French driving straight over the top of the starboard hull of the Black Foils.
Later, in the Mixed Zone, Phil Robertson, skipper of the Red Bull Italy team, who had a near miss with the Kiwis said there were puffs coming off the shore, which were "really heavy and from very different directions."
"It is very tricky to sail these boats when there big pressure, and big shifts. The boats are hard to control. We were doing 50kts at times along the Sprint leg in the first two races. And in the last one we were sitting on 50kts the whole way."
"We're sitting on the edge of control. It's good action, but it's definitely tough."
"As long as you have a bit of time you can anticipate the path of the shift and you have a bit of wriggle room up or down, then it's no problem.
"It's just when you push the ride height to the limit to try and get over someone, or be in a better position, that you start to get a bit wobbly," he explained.
The collision stunned the crowd, who could but watch as their favorite drifted down the harbour, initially locked to the French. The Black Foils starboard hull appeared to sink, but as they broke free, the fans could but watch as Amokura which had been foiling at 50kts was reduced to crumpled carbon.
Behind them, Race 3 continued until the bottom mark, where it was abandoned. The fans remained, in the hope that there would be more racing, but the Day 1 was abandoned at 1720hrs.
The second day of racing is scheduled for an early start on Sunday at 1130hrs NZDT - trying to avoid the stronger winds predicted for the late afternoon.
The fleet will be reduced to 11 boats. The damage to the French team was not fully revealed until they were craned ashore, when the bow section of the port hull had been smashed in the collision, as the French mounted the Kiwis starboard hull. The T-Foil had taken the brunt of the impact, and that too would need a similar repair to Los Gallos (ESP) after their breakage in Fremantle.
The fleet remained with wingsails on moorings for the night, in the relative shelter of Jellicoe harbour.
Later on Saturday evening, it was confirmed that Black Foils grinder Louis Sinclair had suffered compound fractures of both legs and had been hospitalised. A French crew member was also injured and hospitalised.
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