August 23, 2026
5 minutes reading time
SailGP: France set New SailGP Speed Record on feisty opening day in Sassnitz
Six races, five different winners and a new speed record: the fastest racecourse in the world lived up to the name on opening day of the ROCKWOOL Germany Sail Grand Prix. Three-time Rolex SailGP Champions Australia lead Group B into Day 2 with 10 points on the event leaderboard, as trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand top the Group A standings with 12 points.
DS Team France’s record-breaking run was just one of a string of headline-making moments on a wild day of racing on Germany’s Baltic coast, with the 13-team fleet battling tricky conditions, dramatic comebacks and a series of major incidents.
Denmark’s ROCKWOOL Racing also broke the existing record, hitting 106.79 km/h before losing control and suffering a huge high-speed nosedive, while Los Gallos of Spain hit 106.55 km/h.
Six races, two groups and no shortage of carnage: Sassnitz delivered from the very first start.
Race 1: Flying Roos dominant despite a scare
Germany by Deutsche Bank and Emirates GBR tangled at the pin end and paid for it immediately, dropping to the back of the fleet before the fleet had even settled. Out front, the Bonds Flying Roos and NorthStar screamed off the line and never looked back, with the Aussies building a 15-second lead as NorthStar and the US scrapped it out for second.
A rare wobble from the Aussies – dropping off the foils in a scrappy maneuver on leg five – looked like it might open the door, but they recovered in time to take the win. NorthStar held on for second, with Artemis rounding out the podium in third.
It was a race to forget for the US, who misjudged the layline on the final leg and slipped from second to fourth in the blink of an eye.
Race 2: Black Foils cool and clinical
Explora Swiss nailed the start, with Black Foils and Red Bull Italy in hot pursuit. ROCKWOOL Racing got loose after mark one – dropping the board at 90 km/h – and never recovered, sliding back to seventh.
The Black Foils took control at gate two and never gave it up, holding firm as DS Team France pushed hard for a podium finish. Los Gallos, sitting fourth at gate three, then snuck inside the French boat and picked up a penalty for their troubles, dropping them out of contention.
The Black Foils crossed first, Explora Swiss second, Red Bull Italy third. Los Gallos finished last.
Race 3: Vintage Flying Roos
The Bonds Flying Roos controlled the start and led at mark one, with Artemis and the US giving chase. Emirates GBR and NorthStar, both slow off the line, found themselves at the back of the fleet – but the Brits clawed their way from fifth to second by leg three.
What followed was a masterclass. The Bonds Flying Roos extended to a 13-second lead by leg four, sailing with the kind of precision that’s hard to live with. They crossed the line 24 seconds clear – about as clinical as it gets. Emirates GBR’s fightback continued to second, and Artemis made it three podiums from three races with another third.
Race 4: Carnage under the stadium
DS Team France led at mark one after another sharp start, with Los Gallos chasing in second. The Black Foils picked up an early boundary penalty and lost 20 metres they could ill afford.
France held the lead at gate three with the Kiwis closing, but the real drama was unfolding behind them. Los Gallos lost their rudders at the mark, Red Bull Italy dived inside and both boats came crashing off the foils in scenes of pure chaos right under the race stadium – every team in the fleet fighting to stay upright through the gate.
DS Team France held on to win by 16 seconds, with the Black Foils coming home second. A brilliant recovery from ROCKWOOL Racing saw them complete the podium in third.
Race 5: Germany hold nerve for home win
A slow start didn’t stop Germany getting off the line first and leading at mark one, with the US and NorthStar chasing hard in second and third. Could the Bonds Flying Roos find a way through from fourth?
An unforced error saw Germany penalised for sailing out of bounds, dropping them to second, before a windshift hit NorthStar and handed the lead straight back to the home team. The Bonds Flying Roos clawed into third by leg five, only for the finish to turn on its head: Artemis surged from sixth to third at the final mark, and the Australians’ race unravelled just as spectacularly in reverse, sliding from third to sixth.
Germany held on for the win in front of their home crowd, with NorthStar second for the second time on the day. It continued to be a tricky day for the US, who sit bottom of the group after three races. Despite consistently good starts, the speed just hasn’t converted into results for the Americans.
Race 6: Records fall as Los Gallos snatch it late
The day’s headline moment arrived in the finale. DS Team France, ROCKWOOL Racing and Los Gallos lined up together off the start and into mark one, and it was the French crew who found another gear entirely – hitting 107.63 km/h to shatter ROCKWOOL Racing’s own Sassnitz benchmark from last season.
But raw speed wasn’t enough. ROCKWOOL Racing suffered a heavy nosedive that dropped them from second to seventh, while Los Gallos fell off the foils and picked up a boundary penalty of their own. It looked like it might be game over – instead, Los Gallos produced the recovery of the day, fighting back past DS Team France to open a 200-metre lead by gate four.
Los Gallos held on to win, keeping their Final ambitions firmly alive. DS Team France had to settle for second despite the record, with the Black Foils completing the podium in third.
All to play for on Super Sunday
The opening day of the ROCKWOOL Germany Sail Grand Prix goes to the Black Foils, who head into tomorrow’s finale top of Group A with 12 points, one ahead of France. The Bonds Flying Roos lead Group B with ten points, with metronomic Artemis a point behind.
But the headlines rightly belong to DS Team France’s incredible new speed record. With the forecast for Sunday promising more breeze and flat water, can it be broken again?
Text and images courtesy of SailGP.com