The Sydney SailGP event in February was marked by high drama, including a sudden storm which ripped through the event village and destroyed an F50 that was being craned out, and a heartstopping man overboard situation.
On day one of racing British crewmember Matt Gotrel slipped through a fairing as Ainslie’s team prepared to gybe, and was left tethered to the F50 beneath the trampoline while it hurtled along at 30+ knots. Footage of the event shows Gotrel, who is a 6ft 5in Olympic gold medallist rower, being bounced by waves under the foiling catamaran like a ragdoll while his crew mates worked to slow the boat and pull him back on board. Remarkably, Gotrel suffered no serious injuries beyond bruising.
Later that day, a ‘southerly buster’ – awell known Sydney weather phenomenon which brings intense and very sudden strong winds from the south – tore through the event village just as some of the F50s were being lifted out of the water after racing. The Canadian F50’s rig and wing sail flailed loose, smashing into marquees. Again, remarkably, nobody was SailGP seriously injured although the Canadian F50 was severely damaged, the wing destroyed, and several other wing sections in the technical zone also damaged. Phil Robertson’s team had only taken delivery of this 10th and newest F50 to be built just days before.
Racing for the second day of the Australian SailGP event had to be cancelled, the event win going to Team France. Currently event organisers plan to continue with
