{"id":1163391,"date":"2026-08-22T17:46:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T17:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1163391\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T17:46:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T17:46:34","slug":"france-set-new-sailgp-speed-record-on-wild-opening-day-in-sassnitz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1163391\/","title":{"rendered":"France Set New SailGP Speed Record on Wild Opening Day in Sassnitz"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

France Set New SailGP Speed Record on Wild Opening Day in Sassnitz
\n by SailGP 22 Aug 10:09 PDT
\n 22-23 August 2026<\/p>\n


\n DS Automobiles France – Day 1 – Rockwool Germany Sail Grand Prix – Sassnitz – August 22, 2026 \u00a9 Jason Ludlow\/SailGP<\/p>\n

\"Henri-Lloyd
<\/a>\"PredictWind
<\/a><\/p>\n


\nSix 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.<\/strong> \n<\/p>\n


\nDS Automobiles SailGP Team France hit 107.63 km\/h in the final race, obliterating the all-time SailGP record of 103.93 km\/h set by Denmark’s ROCKWOOL Racing in the same location last year. ROCKWOOL Racing themselves went past their own mark at 106.79 km\/h in the same race, before losing control in a high-speed nosedive. Los Gallos of Spain clocked 106.55 km\/h. \n<\/p>\n


\n \n<\/p>\n


\nDS Automobiles Team France driver, Quetin Delapierre, said: “I was definitely on the edge and it was quite scary on that last bear-away. I guess that’s where we broke the record. It was quite a slow bear-away, so we were going really fast. I was just focusing on not putting too much pressure on Jason’s foil so he could stay on the foil. At this speed, the first boundary comes up very quickly.” \n<\/p>\n


\nBattling it out at speeds upwards of 40km\/h of Baltic breeze, F50s were configured with the smallest 18-meter wingsail, high-speed rudders and boards. Teams competed in two groups: Sweden, Canada, the United States, Australia, Germany and Great Britain together in Group B, alongside Spain, Switzerland, New Zealand, France, Denmark, Italy and Brazil in Group A. \n<\/p>\n


\nOpening day (race B1) got off to a flying start, as the Bonds Flying Roos led the sprint to mark one, building a significant lead in a masterful display of boathandling. A rare wobble on leg five looked like it might open the door for NorthStar, but the Australians held them off to win as Artemis crossed the line in third. \n<\/p>\n


\nGroup A’s Sassnitz opener (race 2) went the way of the Black Foils, as Peter Burling took control at the second gate and never gave it back – crossing the line first ahead of Explora Journeys Swiss SailGP Team in second and Red Bull Italy in third. \n<\/p>\n


\nBlack Foils driver, Peter Burling, said: “Yeah, it was a super-fun day of racing. It was definitely super shifty, with the little rain squalls coming through, and I think the group did an amazing job starting the day strong, chipping away and getting some good results on the board.” \n<\/p>\n


\nThe Australians controlled the start once more in race 3 (B2), leading at mark one to stretch away with a 24-second lead to claim their second consecutive race win. Emirates GBR came back from fifth to take second, followed by Artemis in third. \n<\/p>\n


\nBONDS Flying Roos’ Tom Slingsby said: “It felt super easy in the first two races. You get a good start, you’re out in front and you’re just sailing around by yourself. It felt great. Then the last race was just a battle. Everyone’s attacking you and everyone just slows each other up if you get caught in the pack, and that’s what happened to us. So, two good ones and a shocker.” \n<\/p>\n


\nDS Automobiles Team France led at mark one in race 4 (A2), while the Black Foils picked up an early boundary penalty. France held the lead at gate three with the Kiwis closing in – battling throughout to finish first and second, respectively, as Denmark crossed the line in third. \n<\/p>\n


\nIn their third and final fleet race of the day (race 5), Germany took the lead and eventually the win – much to the delight of the sold-out Sassnitz crowd. Northstar finished second, as Artemis surged from sixth to third at the final mark – their third podium finish in as many races. \n<\/p>\n


\nDriver Erik Kosegarten-Heil said, “It was fantastic to win one race in front of the home crowd. We had a good start and we didn’t have the other races before that. Now we are back in the game. It will be a tough second day of racing for us, but everything is still in it.” \n<\/p>\n


\nThe day’s headline arrived in the finale (race 6), as DS Team France shattered the Rolex SailGP Championship’s speed record: a blistering 107.63 km\/h. \n<\/p>\n


\nROCKWOOL Racing suffered a heavy nosedive that dropped them from second to seventh, as Los Gallos fought their way back from a boundary penalty to overtake France – claiming their race win and keeping their Final hopes alive for tomorrow. \n<\/p>\n


\n \n<\/p>\n


\nThe ROCKWOOL Germany Sail Grand Prix returns tomorrow – Sunday August 23 – for remaining qualifying fleet races and a winner-takes-all Grand Final. The action gets under way at 2 p.m. local time (CEST). Find out more at SailGP.com\/Watch<\/a>. \n<\/p>\n

\"RS
<\/a>\"Mackay
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