SailGP cancels May Rio event due to wingsail defect in F50 fleet
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The US team races against the British team and the Australian team on day 2 of the San Francisco SailGP on March 23, 2025 in California. The Australian boat's wing collapsed.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
SailGP has cancelled next month's Rio event after identifying a defect in select wingsails in the F50 fleet, the racing circuit said on Thursday, allowing time for repairs ahead of the June event in New York.
The problem was identified after the Australian boat's wing collapsed in San Francisco last month, prompting testing and analysis.
Organisers said they would consider potential options to reschedule.
"Our engineers and technicians have discovered an issue with the bonding of the core material in the shear web of some of the wingsails, which could potentially compromise the structural integrity of those wingsails," said SailGP CEO Russell Coutts.
"We've made the prudent choice to suspend next month’s event, giving us sufficient time to complete repairs and conduct any further investigations."
SailGP is set to return to New York from June 7-8. REUTERS
