Perth, Australia – Saturday, January 17. New Zealand’s SailGP season has begun in dramatic fashion after the Black Foils were involved in a high-speed collision with Switzerland during the opening fleet race of the Perth Sail Grand Prix.
The incident occurred in race one, as the New Zealand SailGP (The Black Foils) attempted a tack near the second mark
Travelling at an estimated 60km/h, the New Zealand F50 catamaran failed to give way on a starboard tack and was struck on the stern by the Swiss boat.
Both boats were forced to stop immediately, leaving debris floating in the water. Under SailGP rules, vessels on a port tack must give way, with race officials later ruling New Zealand at fault. The Black Foils were disqualified from the race, and neither team returned to the water for the remainder of the day. No injuries were reported.
The collision reduced the active fleet after Spain had already withdrawn from the regatta due to hull damage sustained during practice on Thursday. As a result of the crash, both New Zealand and Switzerland ended the Perth event without registering any points.
The incident marks a difficult opening to the season for the Black Foils, who entered the Perth regatta looking to reset after a dramatic finish to last year’s championship campaign.