Canada SailGp Team update from Sydney

Following on from yesterday's racing in the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix – Sydney, a severe weather system passed through while the Canada SailGP Team's F50 catamaran was craning out. Thankfully, no one on the team was seriously injured.

Given the extensive damage to several wings and the team's F50, racing for today (Sunday) has been cancelled.

"As a team, we have really come together. We are very thankful that everyone is ok. It was a serious situation trying to get the wing out before the storm arrived. Everyone on our team was involved. Unfortunately, it came at a time which wasn't ideal and we had to scramble. I was impressed by the amount of people who came to help, including members from other teams and of course, the SailGP Tech Team. The situation escalated quickly. It was some of the most wind I have ever seen in my life," said Phil Robertson, Driver of the Canada SailGP Team.

The storm wreaked havoc in parts of the city and left 60,000 people without power. 

The team has been onsite all day evaluating the damage to the new boat, which was christened just two days earlier. Working closely with SailGP to deal with this unprecedented occurrence, the team will assess the impact this incident will have on the team going forward.

With three race wins yesterday, the France SailGP Team took the win for this event, while the Canada SailGP Team finished seventh overall.

What happened?
Following the conclusion of racing on Saturday, a major weather incident cause significant damage to the wing sails and at least one boat at SailGP’s tech site.

Was anyone injured?
Thankfully no-one was seriously injured during the incident. SailGP is currently investigating the situation and cooperating with all relevant agencies. The technical site has now been safely secured and a full assessment is underway.

How severe is the damage?
Now the site is secured, SailGP is carrying out a full assessment of the damage to the boats and equipment. After an initial review, it’s clear that there was significant damage to the wing sails across the fleet and at least one boat. Six boats remained moored on the water and are relatively unscathed.

Should craning have taken place during the forecast?
SailGP works closely with local experts and has extensive in-house knowledge of the forecast. We had a window to crane the boats and, with the advice received, proceeded to do so.

Do the points still count from the first day of racing?
Yes, only one fleet race is needed to produce an event winner. Therefore the France SailGP Team is the official winner of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney.

Will the broadcast take place today?
SailGP’s global broadcast will still go ahead in the scheduled broadcast window today. This will cover the first day of racing action - which resulted in France winning the event - and the major weather event that happened yesterday.

How likely is it that the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix and the Season 3 Grand Final in San Francisco will go ahead?
A full assessment will now be carried out to determine a full inventory and what this means for future events. However, all efforts will be made to continue the season as scheduled.