The Australian SailGP team is deep into recovery mode following the catastrophic wing failure that saw them bow out of contention for the final at the Oracle San Francisco Sail Grand Prix in March. The dramatic incident, which unfolded just seconds before the start of Race 7, left the 24-metre wingsail in a crumpled mess and raised serious questions about safety procedures, boat handling under pressure, and the operational reliability of SailGP’s signature F50 catamarans.
READ OUR ARTICLE : Breaking down the catastrophic wing failure of the Australian SailGP Team in San Francisco
A recent update from SailGP CEO Russell Coutts has shed some light on the rebuild process now underway. Sharing a photo from SailGP Technologies in the UK, Coutts confirmed the new wing for Australia is already taking shape. Boat 13 – a new F50 under construction – can also be seen in the background. Alongside the wing, spare parts are being fabricated in volume, with work on light-wind foils and rudders reportedly well advanced off-site. These are expected to make their first appearance at the upcoming Geneva event.
“Photo in SailGP Technologies today,” Coutts wrote. “New wing for Australia taking shape with boat 13 in the background. Also a lot of additional spare parts in the making. Off-site, the new light wind foils and rudders are well advanced and we should see them for the first time in Geneva. Wing repairs going well in Pensacola… thanks to American Magic. All in, it’s a huge project!”
The San Francisco incident that sidelined the Australians was both shocking and eerily familiar. As the team approached the crowded start line, attempting a high-speed manoeuvre between rival boats, a sudden turn and bow dip placed immense strain on the wingsail. The structure couldn’t cope. It collapsed without contact with any other vessel, though the dramatic crack was reportedly heard across the fleet. The team, led by Tom Slingsby, had been tied for first overall prior to the race.
This marks the third for the league within two seasons—adding to growing scrutiny of the design’s operational thresholds. The most comparable failure occurred in Saint-Tropez in 2023, when New Zealand’s wing folded after a similar ease error during a down-speed manoeuvre. In our opinion, in both cases, the jib was not eased before the wing, violating an informal best practice designed to prevent precisely this sort of pressure build-up on the unsupported leeward side. Notably, despite investigations and recommendations following the New Zealand incident, no formal rules were introduced to enforce safer trim sequences. Neither has SailGP put out any formal announcement as to the cause in either case.
READ OUR OPINION PIECE : When the wing folds; how a known risk brought down two F50s
Meanwhile, wing repairs for Australia’s broken platform are underway in Pensacola, at the American Magic America’s Cup base, which is now being used as a secondary SailGP hub. Additional build personnel have reportedly been flown in to meet tight repair and manufacturing timelines.
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The cancellation of the Rio de Janeiro event on the Season 5 calendar has bought SailGP a critical window to regroup. It has allowed engineers and crews to examine not just the Australian failure, but earlier wing-related incidents involving Brazil in Bermuda, New Zealand in Saint-Tropez, and several less-publicised damage events caused by capsize, lightning strikes, and rogue winds during unrigging.
As things stand, SailGP remains on track to return to racing at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix on June 7–8. It will be the league’s third appearance in the city and the final stop on the U.S. leg before Season 5 shifts to Europe. The Australians are expected to be back on the water by then, but their return will undoubtedly come with a renewed focus on rig handling, team discipline, and whether it’s time for the league to introduce more enforceable safety standards around wing operations. Until then, the rebuilding continues—both structurally and strategically.
