If it’s a question of safety over visual experience, SailGP chief executive Sir Russell Coutts knows which way he’ll lean.
For the first time on a race day, the league moved to a split-fleet format for racing this weekend in Auckland, a response to the forecast conditions, small course and a major racing incident on day one of the regatta.
Two sailors were hospitalised after a crash between New Zealand’s Black Foils and the French team left both vessels with major damage and brought a halt to the day’s racing.
“We weren’t planning on doing it this weekend but clearly, you know, with the conditions and once we saw what the conditions were like, you know, it was the prudent thing to do,” Coutts said of the decision to split the fleet on Sunday.
“Ultimately, if it’s a question of safety over the visual experience, clearly the safety’s going to govern that decision.”
The league has long planned to move to a split-fleet format once they get 14 boats in the fleet, which will happen in 2027.
SailGP trialled the format in Auckland last year for practice but chose not to race in it. It has, however, continued to split the fleet for practice racing.
Coutts did, however, believe the split-fleet format would not really change much for the first leg of races – a straight-line sprint to the mark – but would remove congestion around the markers, particularly at the bottom gate.
“It really doesn’t really affect that situation that happened yesterday because they were sailing in a straight line and that could happen with two boats. You know, it could happen in a match race.”
Coutts praised the response from the SailGP safety team after the collision between the two boats and said a review of the situation had been undertaken overnight so the league could react before racing began on Sunday.
The incident saw Black Foils grinder Louis Sinclair suffer compound fractures while French strategist Manon Audinet suffered an abdominal injury that Coutts referred to as “internal bruising”.
He also said a sailor was trapped in a compartment of the boat in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
“There were lessons to be learned about the communications and the way we assess the situation. There always are and that’s the goal of a situation, a programme like that. Fortunately, nobody was really seriously injured and you can take those lessons away and perhaps respond in a better way in the future and learn by it and perhaps save a life if you have a similar situation in the future.”
Throughout the years, Coutts has said SailGP is an extreme sport, with the top sailors in the world racing at high speed.
Often, the sailors and officials involved in the league make reference to Formula One when discussing that side of the sport, and Coutts said the danger element is something they don’t shy away from addressing.
“The boats aren’t easy to sail, but the best sailors in the world, that’s what they want to be. It’s like the top motor racing events, it’s not without its dangers,” Coutts said.
“The league works very hard at all of the safety protocols, but there is an element of danger there and the teams and athletes know that and we do our best to minimise that danger.”
It was a sentiment shared by Emirates Great Britain driver Dylan Fletcher after racing on Saturday.
The reigning SailGP champions said they compete in a high-performance league and were aware of the risks that came with it.
“I think we all accept the risks when we join and we’re all out there to try to ensure that we don’t crash into each other,” Fletcher said.
“We’re all doing our best and ultimately, unfortunately sometimes things happen. But I think it’s a testament to the safety that’s been done and everything that athletes are able to be stable in conditions [after] crashes like that.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.