The first day of racing at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix ended with an early abandonment following a dramatic collision between the New Zealand's Black Foils and DS Team France SailGP Teams.
A fast and furious day of racing saw Emirates GBR drop off their foils in the pre-start and cross the line in ninth in challenging, shifty breeze conditions. Struggling for rhythm around the course, the team found themselves at the back of the fleet, finishing in 11th place.
© Felix Diemer for SailGP
Felix Diemer for SailGP
Race two told a different story. GBR mounted an impressive fightback, picking through the fleet from seventh across the start line to secure a second-place finish. In race three, GBR again impressed, leading off the line in dominant fashion, but racing was dramatically halted following a major collision between the New Zealand SailGP Team and the France SailGP Team, bringing an abrupt end to the day’s action.
Two athletes involved in the incident were treated for injuries but, thankfully, are in stable condition.
Emirates GBR SailGP Team Driver Dylan Fletcher said:
“Big first day here in Auckland with the incident between the Kiwis and the French. We are just pleased to hear that the athletes involved are in a stable condition, and our thoughts are with both teams.
© Felix Diemer for SailGP
Felix Diemer for SailGP
“It’s a challenging but fun racecourse, and ultimately that’s why we love the racing here. We had a disappointing first race, it wasn’t good enough , so it was great to bounce back and find our form in the second race. Tomorrow we will reset again and come out firing, as every race counts in SailGP.”
Racing at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix concluded on Sunday 15 February. UK viewers can watch the action live on TNT Sports 3 from 22:30 GMT on Saturday 14 February.