The Black Foils have been cleared to race tomorrow at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix, after Amokura completed an intensive structural rebuild and full systems recommissioning.
The F50 sustained major port hull damage at the Perth season opener, forcing an immediate and complex rebuild. The forward hull section was shipped from Australia, while SailGP Technologies in the UK produced a newly fabricated stern section and flew it to Auckland. The two components were structurally bonded and blended before the platform returned to SailGP’s technical base earlier this week.
Since then, the technical team has worked through a full reinstallation programme. Steering systems, hydraulics, electronics, rudders and foils were refitted, followed by precise alignment and calibration across thousands of onboard data channels. Every control surface and data stream required verification before the boat could be cleared for sailing.
Co CEO and Driver Peter Burling was relieved to get back on the water, saying, “We’re stoked to be out there again”.
He acknowledged it was far from the ideal way to open a season. The collision in Perth ended their racing after the first event and brought the first driver demerit points of the year. Burling conceded they did not turn quickly enough in what he described as a grey zone decision. In situations like that, if a collision can be avoided, it should be. Both teams were involved, and the incident now forms part of the learning curve for the championship.
The Swiss team, who managed a rapid turnaround of their own after Perth, described their one day rebuild effort as incredibly important to team development. High speed foiling brings inherent risk. Incidents will occur, and teams must evolve through them.
For the Black Foils, the tight transition between Perth and Auckland proved the real challenge. Seeing a completely new stern section built, delivered and integrated in time for testing underlined the scale of the operation. There will still be items to refine, but the priority was to confirm systems integrity and regain confidence on the water.
It marks a critical moment in the campaign, not just for the boat but for the wider team effort behind it.
Amokura is scheduled to roll out for final dockside checks before launching ahead of tomorrow’s racing programme. The Black Foils expect to be back out testing today, although conditions are far from ideal. Auckland has delivered a choppy sea state, strong breeze with steady moderate rain, making it more about systems checks than outright performance.
Tomorrow is expected to bring a more settled forecast, giving the team a clearer opportunity to stretch Amokura’s legs ahead of racing.
We are pleased for the Black Foils and the wider SailGP championship. After days balanced on a knife edge, the Black Foils are set to take their place on the start line in front of a home crowd.
