The French squad, under the leadership of Quentin Delapierre, had a challenging start to their campaign, forced to sit out both the Dubai and Auckland events as they awaited delivery of a new F50 after their boat was severely damaged last season. This setback originated from a bold but ultimately costly manoeuvre during the qualifying stages of the previous season’s Grand Final.
Locked in a fierce battle against the Spanish team for the coveted third spot in the final, the French team took a high-risk gamble, cutting sharply across ROCKWOOL DEN at the crucial final turning mark during the fourth fleet race. The dramatic incident resulted in a collision with Denmark, significantly damaging France’s own F50 and crushing their hopes of qualification.
Reflecting on these experiences, Delapierre has emerged with a renewed perspective, emphasising determination above all else:
“What I’ve learned from missing two Grand Finals is that I don’t really care about the path or the method—we just need to achieve our goal. For me, this shift represents real maturity.”
Sydney’s SailGP event provided no shortage of drama even before racing officially began, with practice sessions witnessing multiple collisions, notably between the German team and both Red Bull Italy and Mubadala Brazil. The United States team added to the chaos by capsizing ahead of the race days, highlighting the intense pressures and narrow margins inherent in SailGP competition.
Fans can gain deeper insight into the emotional and strategic rollercoaster of SailGP through Racing on the Edge, which provides unprecedented access to sailing’s biggest names, including Australia’s Tom Slingsby, New Zealand’s Peter Burling, and SailGP CEO Russell Coutts.
With their new F50 and renewed determination, France is back on track, aiming to make their mark on the rest of the 2025 season.
