DS Automobiles SailGP Team France reunites its full crew… and returns to the front of the fleet in Portsmouth
PORTSMOUTH – SUNDAY 26 JULY 2026 – DS Automobiles SailGP Team France concluded the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix on a highly encouraging note. Racing in ideal conditions, with a steady 17-knot westerly breeze allowing the fleet to race with the small wing, the French team delivered an outstanding second day of racing, securing two second-place finishes.
Following the event, won by Spain and marking the start of SailGP’s European leg, DS Automobiles SailGP Team France remains sixth overall in the Rolex SailGP Championship standings. With four events remaining, the team is still firmly in contention for a place in the Grand Final, sitting just nine points behind the top three.
A full crew reunited at last
Beyond the result itself, Portsmouth marked an important milestone for the French team. For the first time since the Auckland crash, DS Automobiles SailGP Team France was back with its full-strength line-up.
Following Manon Audinet’s return to competition in Halifax, Leigh McMillan was back on board the French F50 this weekend after several months away through injury. Sunday’s pair of second-place finishes highlighted the potential of a crew that is steadily rebuilding its rhythm, communication and on-board chemistry after several Sail Grands Prix disrupted by injuries and crew changes.
Philippe Mourniac, Head Coach – DS Automobiles SailGP Team France
“What makes us happiest today isn’t just the result itself. Since Auckland, we’ve had to weather several difficult events. Manon returned in Halifax and Leigh was finally back on board this weekend. For the first time in months, we had our full crew together again. Between Saturday and Sunday, we could really feel the team getting back into sync. Finishing second twice on Sunday shows that we’re gradually rediscovering our rhythm, our communication and our teamwork.”
A new Split Fleet format
Portsmouth also marked the introduction of SailGP’s new Split Fleet Racing format, which will be used throughout the second half of the season. With the championship now featuring 13 national teams, qualifying races are split into two fleets before determining which teams advance to the now four-boat event final.
The new format creates more space on the racecourse while placing even greater emphasis on race starts and manoeuvres—two areas in which DS Automobiles SailGP Team France has traditionally excelled.
Margaux Billy experiences SailGP for the first time
The weekend also marked Margaux Billy’s first-ever SailGP event. An athlete from the K-Challenge Akademy, she joined the team as reserve strategist for Manon Audinet, discovering the SailGP environment, completing the required safety training to obtain her strategist licence, and taking part in all team briefings and training sessions.
This first experience perfectly reflects the mission of the K-Challenge Akademy: developing the next generation of sailors, accelerating their progression on the sport’s most demanding foiling platforms, and creating a genuine pathway towards elite competition, particularly SailGP and K-Challenge’s other high-performance projects.
Margaux Billy, K-Challenge Akademy athlete
“This was my very first SailGP event and, until now, I had only experienced the championship through a screen. I received an incredibly warm welcome. Manon taught me so much about her role and about how the team operates. The intensity of the championship is truly impressive. Earning my strategist licence was a real baptism of fire, but I’m leaving with a huge amount of experience and an even greater desire to come back.”
Next stop: Sassnitz
The championship now heads to Sassnitz, where DS Automobiles SailGP Team France claimed its maiden SailGP event victory last season. Building on the lessons learned in Portsmouth and with its full crew finally reunited, the French team will arrive in Germany determined to continue its upward momentum, return to the front of the fleet, and write another memorable chapter on German waters.
