The Rolex SailGP Grand Prix in Sassnitz, Germany, turned chaotic over the weekend after a dramatic collision between the American and British teams. Both boats were travelling at more than 40 mph in strong winds when they came together on the upwind leg of the fourth and final race on Saturday.

The American boat, sailing on port tack without priority, failed to avoid the British F50 skippered by Dylan Fletcher. As the boats converged, the front hull of the U.S. catamaran was sliced off by the rudder of the British boat. The collision tore away several metres of the American hull and damaged the back of the British boat badly enough to force both teams out of the race.

The British strategist Hannah Mills saw the crash coming and told her skipper to head up to minimise the impact, but it was too late. Despite the severity of the collision, no one was injured, and officials called it very fortunate that there were no casualties.

The British crew managed to return to racing the next day after overnight repairs that included salvaged material from the damaged U.S. boat. The American team, which is backed by high-profile sports star investors and chaired by former Uber engineer Ryan McKillen, was left unable to continue in the Sassnitz event.

OH NO 😬

A massive incident to end Day 1 in Sassnitz as @sailgpusa hit @EmiratesGBRSGP 😱

The US team will receive -12 event points for this incident and we are thankful to report all athletes are safe and accounted for ⛵️ pic.twitter.com/mrDhNTwUOF

— SailGP (@SailGP) August 16, 2025

The main collision followed a dramatic practice session just a day earlier. On Friday, the French F50 suffered major damage when a T-foil rudder ripped off the back of the boat during a high-speed bear-away maneuver. The detached foil flew high into the air but avoided the crew. Driver Quentin Delapierre was thrown violently forward, hitting the cockpit. He was taken to hospital but later cleared to compete on Saturday.

Only seconds later, the Brazilian boat suffered an even worse accident when its front cross-beam snapped apart, causing the catamaran to break into pieces. The wingsail collapsed into the water as the boat fell apart. Surprisingly, no one was seriously hurt, but the Brazilians were forced out for the weekend.

SailGP’s repair crews worked through the night to get the French boat ready for racing and were again tasked with all-night work after the U.S. and British crash on Saturday.

Germany won the opening race, their first victory since Dubai last November. The U.S. finished third, their best result in a while. Britain came back in the second race, overtaking Spain on the downwind leg to secure a win and briefly lead the rankings.

Race three set a new SailGP speed record. Denmark’s Nicolai Sehested hit 103.93 km/h around the first mark, beating France’s previous 99.97 km/h record. Australia won that race. In the fourth and final race of the day, New Zealand held off Australia’s Tom Slingsby to secure victory.

By the end of Saturday, Australia topped the leaderboard with an eight-point lead over New Zealand, who were level on points with France, Germany, and Spain close behind.

SailGP, often called the Formula 1 of sailing, uses identical F50 foiling catamarans that can exceed 60 mph. Each racecourse is set up close to shore to give spectators the best view. The boats’ hydrofoils and rudders, made from high modulus carbon fiber, are built to resist cavitation and were tested to their limits in the weekend’s collisions.

Founded in 2018 by Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison, SailGP now features 12 national teams. The 2025 season has already included events in Dubai, Auckland, Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Portsmouth, and Sassnitz. Upcoming races will take place in St. Tropez, Geneva, and Cadiz, before the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Reference: NYTimes

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