Saturday’s—yesterday’s—accident between the Black Foils and DS Automobiles SailGP Team France unfolded fast. The New Zealand F50 appeared to lose control when its rudder lifted clear of the water. The boat veered sharply to starboard. In the confined stadium-style course, the French crew had no room to escape. Their F50 rode up over the starboard hull of the Black Foils’ F50 in a heavy, unavoidable impact.
It was the kind of moment that reminds everyone just how finely balanced these 50-foot foiling catamarans are when pushing beyond 80 km/h. High loads, tight boundaries, no margin.
With that backdrop, Sunday’s racing configuration will look different.
Split-fleet racing format confirmed
SailGP has introduced a split-fleet racing format for day two. The decision reflects both the tighter harbour course and a stronger wind forecast building through the day.
The teams are divided into two groups based on the current leaderboard.
| Pos | Team | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DS Team France (France) | Quentin Delapierre | 17 pts |
| 2 | BONDS Flying Roos (Australia) | Tom Slingsby | 17 pts |
| 3 | Los Gallos (Spain) | Diego Botin | 12 pts |
| 4 | Black Foils (New Zealand) | Peter Burling | 10 pts |
| 5 | Emirates GBR (GBR) | Dylan Fletcher | 9 pts |
| 6 | ROCKWOOL Racing (Denmark) | Nicolai Sehested | 9 pts |
| 7 | Artemis (Sweden) | Nathan Outteridge | 8 pts |
| 8 | Germany by Deutsche Bank (Germany) | Erik Heil | 6 pts |
| 9 | Mubadala Brazil (Brazil) | Martine Grael | 4 pts |
| 10 | Switzerland | Sébastien Schneiter | 3 pts |
| 11 | U.S. SailGP Team (USA) | Taylor Canfield | 3 pts |
| 12 | NorthStar (Canda) | Giles Scott | 1 pts |
| 13 | Red Bull Italy (Italy) | Phil Robertson | -1 pts |
- Black Foils handed 8 penalty points for collision with DS Team France during Fleet Race 2
- Red Bull Italy handed 4 point penalty for colliding with a racecourse mark during Fleet Race 1
Allocation alternates (in this fashion: Group A, Group B, Group B, Group A, Group A, etc) down the order.
Group A: France, New Zealand, Great Britain, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Italy
Group B: Australia, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, United States
But only eleven of the F50s will race. France and New Zealand remain classified in the event standings (as seen above, they’ve been included in the split fleet configuration) because both started the regatta, but neither will compete today. In effect, Group A will have five crews, while Group B will have six crews competing.
Each group contests two fleet races. That delivers four fleet races in total before the Auckland final.
Points are awarded within each group on a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 scale. Those scores are added to each team’s cumulative tally from Saturday to create one overall leaderboard for the weekend.
At the end of the four races, the top three teams advance to the winner-takes-all final—in my understanding the top three teams advance whether the teams all come from one group or both groups. As always in SailGP, whoever wins the final wins the event.
If teams are tied, standard SailGP tiebreaker rules apply, looking first to the most recent race result.
A harbour that demands precision
The Waitematā Harbour provides spectacular viewing, but it is tight. Bottom mark compressions can turn chaotic when a full fleet charges in at speed.
By splitting the fleet, SailGP reduces congestion at critical turning points. Fewer boats on the course mean cleaner mark roundings and clearer tactical lanes. After Saturday’s impact, that matters.
Sunday’s forecast also plays a role. Sustained winds sit around the mid-teens in knots, with gusts climbing much higher through the race window. In a confined racecourse, managing boat-on-boat risk becomes just as important as outright speed.
High stakes, fewer boats
The racing will still be intense. Four fleet races offer plenty of movement on the leaderboard. Head-to-head battles become more defined when the fleet is smaller.
For those still in contention, the pathway remains simple. Deliver two strong results within your group. Climb into the top three overall. Then win the final.
SailGP split fleet format sets up a very tense Auckland showdown
After a bruising day one, SailGP’s response is measured rather than reactive. The boats that line up on Sunday will still push hard. They always do.
But on this harbour, after what unfolded 24 hours ago, precision and judgment may count more than ever.
