The following is a full, unedited transcript of the media briefing with Black Foils co CEOs Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, held in the days after the collision on the Waitematā Harbour during the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix | Auckland.
The incident occurred in Race 3, when the Black Foils F50 made contact with the French F50 raced by DS Automobiles SailGP Team France. After a high speed slide and sudden touchdown while attempting to avoid the Italian boat to leeward, the impact caused significant damage to both boats and resulted in serious injuries to Black Foils grinder Louis Sinclair and French athlete Minon.
SailGP Auckland Race 3: collision stops the contest (video included)
Like many watching from the grandstands, on the water, and around the world, we were all shocked. Our hearts immediately went out to the crews involved, their families, and the wider SailGP community. While racing continued the following day, the Black Foils later confirmed they would not compete at the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix, Sydney.
The discussion below covers Louie’s recovery, the sequence of events as described by the team, the mental and physical toll of the incident, and the path forward for the Black Foils.
Questions were asked by multiple members of the media. For clarity and transparency, we have published the transcript in full as far as audio quality allowed, retaining the original wording and structure of the exchange wherever possible.
Blair Tuke
Kia ora, good morning everyone. It’s good to be standing in front of you. We’re going to start with a couple of updates on Louie and the wider team.
Pete will talk about the racing incident itself and then the path forward from here. Starting with some good news on Louie: he came out of Auckland Hospital last night, which is great.
French team ruled out of Sydney as injured sailors continue recovery after Auckland SailGP crash
He’s continuing his recovery here in Auckland with his immediate family and, of course, the wider Black Foils whānau. I just want to commend Louie for how he’s handled himself throughout this whole incident. He’s been amazing, really, in true Louie fashion, holding true to the values and characteristics we hope all of our team members embody.
He’s shown that in droves. Amazingly calm, right from the initial incident out on the water, through surgery in Auckland Hospital, and now as he begins what will be quite a long recovery back to full health. With his calm demeanour and unique sense of humour, he’s brought strength to all of us through this time.
To the wider team, mental and physical health are paramount. We’re taking it day by day and making sure everyone is supported in the way they need, as individuals. As we’ve said before, it was a pretty horrific incident, and how we manage our path forward is really important. We’re wrapping ourselves around everyone in the team, with great support in place, using all the tools we can to get people back to full strength.
We’ll figure out the path forward for returning to racing shortly.
We also want to acknowledge the French team at this time. This incident was full on for both teams. We’re sending continued well wishes to Minon in her recovery. She’s been front of mind, along with Louie, ever since the incident. It was full on for both teams and for the wider SailGP community. We’re a tight knit crew, and this type of incident hits everyone hard.
I’ll now pass over to Pete to provide some more context around the incident itself.
Peter Burling
We started off with a great first two races. We were enjoying the conditions and feeling comfortable in the boat. In race three, we were going down reach one, to windward of the Italian boat. We ended up high on the foil and sliding sideways. Then we hit a system limit, which drastically escalated the situation.
We had to take quite drastic action to avoid the Italian boat to leeward, which led to us touching down. The incident followed from there.
From our side, we went through the touchdown. You heard the noise, as you probably all did from the grandstand. Once the spray cleared, we were incredibly thankful to see the four people in front of us. We also knew Liv was on the leeward side in a safe spot.
That’s the first thing that goes through your mind. We were really thankful everyone was safe. Very quickly, we realised Louie had his leg stuck in the bottom of the cockpit.
We can only commend Louie on his demeanour during that time. It’s incredible to see someone in that situation remain so calm. He was instrumental in telling us what he was feeling, where the pressure was, and helping us get the two boats apart.
We can all learn a lot from Louie. I’m incredibly proud of the rest of our team, how everyone came together in a really tough situation, and also the French team. They were dealing with their own situation onboard but came straight to our aid.
It was pleasing to see how the wider SailGP safety teams and medical staff responded. They got the boats secured and the athletes to treatment very quickly, and the boats back to shore safely.
From here, we’re still working out the exact path forward. You would have seen overnight that we’ve confirmed we won’t be in Sydney. SailGP is undertaking a wider planning process around when the Black Foils will be back on the start line. For now, we’re in a waiting phase.
Black Foils and DS Team France out of Sydney SailGP as review continues
Louie is in great spirits. He had an amazing team looking after him at Auckland Hospital. Surgery went incredibly well. To see him out of hospital, able to put some weight through his legs and start that recovery process, has given us a lot of strength.
Directed questions from the grouped media
Q: Did you feel at some point it was going to be a crash, either with Italy or France?
Tuke/Burling: To be honest, I knew the French were behind us, but my focus was on missing the Italians. Things escalated quickly. We got within about two metres of the Italians, so we didn’t have any more room to leeward before we touched down. We did everything we could to avoid that collision.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough space for the French to get past us.
Q: At what point did you realise it was a serious accident?
Tuke/Burling: The nose dive itself was forceful, but that can happen on these boats. It’s uncomfortable, but not completely out of the ordinary. As soon as we heard the noise, we knew it was more serious.
Q: How long before the safety team arrived?
Tuke/Burling: It was quick. But ultimately, both teams were the first responders. The French team and our team did an amazing job handling the immediate situation. Then the SailGP safety and medical teams bolstered that response.
Q: Have you replayed it in your head?
Tuke/Burling: You replay it over and over. In SailGP, there are so many camera angles and audio feeds. In some ways, it’s helpful to confirm your memory. Some details you didn’t see at the time become clear. That’s all part of the review process and planning forward.
Everyone processes it differently. We make sure the timing is right before reviewing footage. We’re fortunate, in a way, that we have access to it. Many traumatic incidents don’t come with footage.
Q: Was it mechanical or driver error?
Tuke/Burling: The boat was working as it should. We hit a system limit when we were high on the foil. There was a combination of factors. The system limit drastically escalated the situation and forced evasive action.
The system limit controls how negative you can go with the rake on the leeward foil. It’s there to protect against other issues. It’s hard to say what would have happened without it, but it didn’t help.
Q: Were the boats tricky in those conditions?
Tuke/Burling: They’re always challenging to sail. You’ve got the best sailors in the world out there. Saturday’s conditions weren’t out of the ordinary. Flat water, gusts off Westhaven, but within the limits of the boat. Sunday was windier. We were in control until the slide began.
Q: Are you personally OK?
Tuke/Burling: We’re doing OK. We’re processing it too. As leaders, and as crew who were on the boat, it’s a unique team environment. We’ve been through tough times before. We’re a tight unit. That gives us strength.
These have been tough days, but they reinforce the value of your teammates. We’re taking the process seriously and looking after one another.
Q: Did Louie’s response speak to his character?
Tuke/Burling: Absolutely. Those who know Louie know he’s an incredible character. Very comfortable in the water, a strong free diver. The way he processed the situation and stayed part of the communication loop to get himself to safety was remarkable.
Q: Are there too many boats on the course?
Tuke/Burling: That’s part of the ongoing review. Personally, we haven’t had concerns about the number of boats. Safety is the priority. The league will go through due process and implement changes if needed.
Q: Has this been a wake up call?
Tuke/Burling: We understand the risks. It’s a significant incident, but it doesn’t change how we approach racing. Lessons will be learned.
Q: Timeline for return?
Tuke/Burling: Too early to say. Definitely out for Sydney. Beyond that, we’ll wait for further planning.
Right now, the priority is looking after our people. We’re grateful for the family support around us. Everyone processes things differently, so support is ongoing.
SailGP has proven before it can respond strongly to situations like this. That process is underway.
Louie’s medical team is confident he’ll make a full recovery. Surgery went well. He’s out of hospital, supported by family and the team. The recovery curve will be steep, but he’s on track.
Thank you very much.
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The coming weeks will focus on recovery, review, and rebuilding, both physically and mentally. The New Zealand SailGP Team, the Black Foils, have confirmed they will not compete at the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney, with further decisions to be made once SailGP completes its formal review process.
For now, the priority remains Louis Sinclair’s rehabilitation and the wellbeing of the wider New Zealand SailGP Team. As Peter Burling and Blair Tuke make clear, lessons will be taken from the incident, but the spirit of the Black Foils remains intact.
