Just one day after receiving their new F50, the France SailGP team made an impressive debut at the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix. They secured third place at the end of the first day and ultimately finished sixth overall—a promising result for a team that had to quickly adapt to a brand-new boat.
The French team arrived in Australia facing logistical uncertainties, receiving their new F50 just a day before the Grand Prix. Within an hour of launching, they were already competing at the starting line against eleven other nations in the SailGP championship. Ideal sailing conditions ranging from 13 to 17 knots on Saturday allowed the French to showcase their skill by executing excellent starts, a hallmark of their strategy in the series. Their consistency yielded solid results (4-3-8-2), positioning them in a promising third place at the end of day one.
Quentin Delapierre, the pilot of the French F50, was optimistic about their performance, "We've set sail at last! We had a very good first day, considering the conditions and our late receipt of the boat with limited time for testing."
However, the second day proved more challenging with lighter and less stable winds. The French team struggled to match the speed and balance of their competitors, finishing the Grand Prix in sixth place, tied with Canada. Delapierre expressed mixed feelings about the outcome, "The second day was tougher; we struggled with starts and speed. It was more complicated. Still, finishing sixth isn't disastrous. We need to find solutions to come back stronger in Los Angeles."
At the top of the leaderboard, the Emirates GBR team, led by Dylan Fletcher, clinched the victory, outperforming Canada and Australia, the latter failing to win on home turf. Delapierre noted, "I didn't expect the Australians to falter today, but they did. The overall level is quite even, though the British were definitely strong. And the Canadians on the podium was a surprise, but they performed exceptionally well—congratulations to them!"
Bruno Dubois, CEO of France SailGP, was reassured by the technical performance, "Our boat is fine. I think it's ready for the rest of the season. We've debugged it over the weekend. We're in the middle of the general rankings, no penalties, nothing, so that's positive. We're still in sixth place, with many races to go. It will be okay."
In addition to racing, tactical and strategic management from the 'coach booth' played a crucial role. Philippe Mourniac and Thierry Douillard provided invaluable external perspectives to the crew. Mourniac explained, "Thierry and I work as a team, handling many aspects. Thierry follows all the technical settings for boat speed and maneuvers in real-time. I focus more on regatta aspects, like water conditions and strategies against opponents."
This Grand Prix also marked the renewal of the partnership between Accor and the France SailGP team. Apart from enhancing fan experiences, the French hotel group launched an initiative to promote women's participation in competitive sailing. Female sailors from the Australian Sailing SheSails program had the opportunity to interact with athletes, visit the technical base, and explore advanced technologies of the Oracle F50 simulator.
With this Australian stint behind them, the France SailGP team is currently seventh in the international sailing championship standings. The team is gearing up to build momentum for the upcoming Grand Prix in Los Angeles on March 15-16.
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