Louis Sinclair rushed to hospital after New Zealand Black Foils crash with France in SailGP Auckland during Winter Olympics season

The SailGP event in Auckland, New Zealand, came to a sudden stop after a frightening crash between two boats left sailors injured and forced race officials to abandon racing. The incident happened during Race 3 on the opening day when New Zealand’s Black Foils collided with France’s boat at high speed. Medical teams quickly rushed onto the water, and safety became the main focus as racing was suspended.

The most serious injuries were suffered by New Zealand grinder Louis Sinclair, who was taken to hospital with fractures in both legs. A French crew member was also transported for treatment. While fans watched in shock, sailors from across teams shared concern and support. The moment quickly changed the mood of the event, turning what was meant to be fast, competitive racing into a reminder of how dangerous high-speed sailing can be.

Louis Sinclair, Quentin Delapierre and Taylor Canfield react after SailGP Auckland crash shocks teams

The collision unfolded when the New Zealand Black Foils boat suddenly nosedived during Race 3. The boat then spun right and crashed into France’s vessel.

According to statements from the New Zealand team, Louis Sinclair suffered compound fractures to both legs but remained in stable condition while receiving treatment in Auckland Hospital.

Other sailors involved were checked by medical staff, though not all needed hospital care. French driver Quentin Delapierre explained that everything happened in seconds.

He said, “I think both teams are quite OK. I want to give my thoughts to the New Zealand team and also to my teammates, this was tough for everyone on both teams. I believe we’ll find some solutions to make sure we never see this kind of thing happen again. On the incident itself, I can’t really say anything. Everything happened so quickly, it’s still super cloudy in my head and I haven’t reviewed the footage or spoken to the umpires, so I can’t comment further.”



United States driver Taylor Canfield also reacted to the crash and said safety was the biggest concern.

He said, “It’s scary. We’ve been involved in a big crash ourselves, and our hearts go out to the teams. The real thing is just making sure everyone is ok. We hate to see it happen to anyone. We’re out there to race, but also to make sure that everyone’s safe. Scary moment, and we hope everyone’s ok and wish them a speedy recovery.”

The crash changed the direction of the opening day in Auckland, leaving teams focused more on recovery and safety than results.

Defending champions Great Britain had earlier placed 11th in race one and second in race two before the day ended early due to the incident.





Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.