F50s In Repair Race Against The Clock

SailGP Freo is over, so what happens next? Our Shipping & Sailing Correspondent, Jean Hudson, reports on what’s happening right now in Auckland.

Life in Freo is almost back to normal after the thrilling 2026 Rolex Sail Grand Prix Freo, the season’s opening event on 17 and 18 January 2026.

The South Mole reopened this weekend, and the grandstands have been dismantled.

Shortly after the racing finished, all the boats were dismantled and packed into 108 shipping containers – containing 100,000 components and weighing 1,057,291 kg of cargo, (that’s equal to seven Blue Whales).

Yachties are still discussing the speed, the near misses and the umpire’s decision after the high-speed prang involving the New Zealand and Swiss boats—Black Foils were awarded seven penalty points. The boat was too damaged to continue sailing in the event. Here are two pics of Black Foils in Fremantle.

Behind the scenes, repairs have been underway, with SailGPTechnologies working round the clock to get Black Foils – and Los Gallos, the other injured F50 – ready for the next Sailing Grand Prix in Auckland. Los Gallos sustained damage on the training day before racing began.

The repairs to Black Foils have been described as the league’s most substantial ever in-season repair. The impact caused damage to the left-side of the hull, including the bulkhead. An entirely new section of hull was manufactured at SailGP’s state-of-the-art centre of innovation, design and engineering in Southampton.

Credit SailGP

Multiple specialist teams manufactured a new hull, deck, stern and steering components. A few days ago, Sir Russell Coutts, SailGP’s CEO, announced that the new parts would be flown from the UK to New Zealand by 4 February. The new section will be bonded into the existing platform in New Zealand.

The sailing world is abuzz with excitement that the Black Foils, New Zealand’s F50 foiling team, will be back on their home start line in Auckland, the City of Sails in time for the SailGP Auckland starting 15 February.

BONDS Flying Roos have been tipped as the team to watch in 2026, and they have just announced their team for Auckland— Driver: Tom Slingsby, Wing Trimmer: Iain ‘Goobs’ Jensen, Flight Controller: Jason Waterhouse, Grinder: Sam Newton, Grinder: Kinley Fowler, Reserves: Thomas Needham and Glenn Ashby.

Fans can expect thrilling action as the teams goes head-to-head. The event will take place in Waitemata Harbour on 14-15 February.

For those of us not travelling to Auckland, don’t forget the event will be covered free to air by SBS.

By Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey

Jean Hudson is our Shipping and Sailing Correspondent and also a regular feature writer, reviewer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may also like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.

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