French and Kiwi F50 hulls grafted together as Sydney deadline looms

Less than 72 hours after one of the most dramatic collisions in SailGP history, engineers in Auckland are already piecing together a new boat from the wreckage.

At Southern Spars' facility in Avondale, what's being dubbed the 'Franken-F50' is taking shape. The port hull from the Black Foils' catamaran has already been grafted onto the starboard hull of the French team’s F50 – a remarkable salvage operation that began almost immediately after Saturday's crash.

The speed of the response has been impressive, with a joint crew of SailGP Technologies and Southern Spars staff working against the clock. But whether it translates into a return to racing for either team at Sydney Sail Grand Prix on 28 February still looks highly doubtful. The team have less than 10 days to get the F50 operational.

Meanwhile, Black Foils grinder Louis Sinclair continues his recovery after suffering compound fractures to both legs. Surgery went well – pins have been inserted and he's now bearing weight, which is encouraging news given the severity of the impact.

"Making sure everyone's healthy and safe and recovering has really been a priority," said Pete Burling in a team update. "It's given us a lot of energy as a group to see him in good spirits and with a good prognosis."

“The path forward isn't clear at this stage,” Blair Tuke added. “But I think what is clear is that the damage to Amokura is incredibly significant.”

A fuller statement on both teams' racing plans is expected later this week.

UPDATE 19/2: It’s been confirmed that New Zealand and France will not compete at next weekend’s Sydney Sail Grand Prix.

From SailGP:

Both teams have been advised they will not race in Sydney, with all efforts directed toward returning them safely to the start line as soon as possible.

Engineering teams are now focused on rebuilding a race-ready platform by combining viable components from both boats.

A full review of the incident is underway, including detailed analysis of performance data and onboard systems, to understand precisely what occurred and identify any learnings.