Sailing: SailGP New Zealand leg facing possible delay as weather causes damage and forces cancellation in Sydney

The New Zealand SailGP Team had an eventful day on the first day of racing in Sydney. Photo / SailGP

SailGP’s debut event in New Zealand could face a delay after a damaging weather event rolled through the tech site at this weekend’s event in Sydney.

SailGP were forced to call off the second day of the regatta after a “major weather event” resulted in significant damage across the fleet on Saturday evening.

After an initial assessment, the league indicated the wing sails across the fleet had been damaged, as had at least one boat. Of the nine boats in the fleet, six were still on the water at the time of the incident and initial assessments on those vessels found they were relatively unscathed. SailGP confirmed no one was seriously injured in the incident.

However, they said the remaining legs of the series may have to be delayed if there is too much repair work to be done across the fleet. Only the New Zealand leg, scheduled for March 18-19, sits between this weekend’s regatta in Sydney and the grand final in San Francisco in May.

“A full assessment needs to be carried out to determine a full inventory on the fleet and what this means for future events, but all efforts will be made to continue the season as scheduled,” a statement from the league read.

“We are currently investigating the situation and cooperating with all relevant agencies. The SailGP site has been safely secured and a full assessment is underway.

“We will release further information as it becomes available.”

SailGP is contested on a one-design fleet, with all nine teams sailing the same F50 foiling catamaran boat design, so the team working to repair the issues will be familiar with the equipment, however it is likely to be a big job, particularly with the New Zealand’s team usual vessel, Amokura, already undergoing repairs following a lightning strike in Singapore last month.

An important element in the competitive context of the season, the league deemed that the three races completed on Saturday were enough to constitute a complete event, handing the French team their second SailGP event title of the season after they won all three of the opening day’s contests.

The decision wasn’t necessarily good news for the New Zealand team. After struggling with mechanical issues in the opening race and being forced to retire, thus ending it in ninth place, they were in for a recovery job from the start. Placing third and fourth in the following races, they finished the day sixth on the leaderboard.

Getting a sixth-placed finish for the event, the gap between the Kiwis and the league-leading Australians at the top of the table grew, as the hosts claimed third, while the New Zealand team also conceded ground to their closest rivals France (first) and Great Britain (fourth) in their bid to finish in the top three.

The top three teams on the leaderboard after the main regatta in San Francisco in May go on to compete for the season title and the US$1 million prize - with the grand final shootout being contested in place of a podium race.

The New Zealand crew remain in second place on 64 points, with France on 63, Great Britain on 61, and Denmark remaining a threat on 57 points.

The weather event brought an abrupt end to the weekend, after the gusty conditions made for a hectic day on the water.

The opening race of the day saw both New Zealand and Australia struggle with mechanical issues, while Great Britain grinder Matt Gotrel fell overboard while attempting to switch sides during a manoeuvre. A dangerous situation - particularly given the pace the boats were racing in the gusty conditions - the British team were able to confirm Gotrel was OK after the incident.