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Sailing News for February 17, 2026

Auckland delivered the full SailGP spectrum, from the Black Foils trading foils for shovels to restore Motutapu and protect the Hauraki Gulf, to Australia defending their title in heavy air and 100 km/h bursts, and then the sobering crash that reignited debate around safety after injuries halted racing in brutal gusts. Offshore, Austrian skipper Lisa Berger is charging toward Cape Horn in the Globe40 aboard one of the oldest boats in the fleet, proving budget and belief can still mix it with the front-runners, while Annapolis veteran Tony Parker reminds everyone that age is no barrier with another world-class J/24 performance. The accolades rolled in as Paul Cayard and Laura Grondin claimed US Sailing’s top Rolex honors, and the day closes with a stark replay of Auckland’s race-day disaster that shows just how razor thin the margin is when 13 F50s light up in survival conditions.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

Black Foils dig in to restore Motutapu and protect the Hauraki Gulf (4 min read)
The Black Foils swapped their F50 for shovels on Motutapu Island, helping restore native forest to stop sediment pouring into the Hauraki Gulf. Alongside Live Ocean, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki and Yachting New Zealand, they’re planting and freeing seedlings to stabilize erosion-prone hillsides. The aim is to cut runoff by more than 70 percent and give marine life a fighting chance under new protected areas. Less foiling at 50 knots, more dirt under the nails. Same mission: protect home waters.

Aussies Claim Victory in Auckland for a Second Time (3 min read)
The BONDS Flying Roos are back on top, defending their Auckland title in gusts up to 45 km/h and hitting speeds over 100 km/h in the process. In a three-boat final against Great Britain and Spain, Tom Slingsby kept it clean off the start, hunted down Spain at the top mark, and sealed the deal. Super sub Glenn Ashby stepped in and delivered big time. Australia now leads the standings and heads to Sydney with serious momentum.

Growing Pains (6 min read)
Auckland delivered the full SailGP experience: 13 F50s on the line, 50-knot chaos, and a brutal crash that left Louis Sinclair with compound leg fractures and Manon Audinet injured. In gusts that even seasoned windsurfers could see coming, the margin for error was razor thin. Quentin Delapierre’s split-second wheel turn may have saved lives. The fallout has reignited the safety debate as SailGP balances spectacle with sailor welfare, while the America’s Cup quietly watches from the sidelines.

Inshore & Offshore Racing

From Tyrol around Cape Horn (7 min read)
Austrian skipper Lisa Berger is gearing up to round Cape Horn in the Globe40, racing double-handed with her partner Jade Edwards-Leaney on the oldest boat in the fleet. They’ve already ripped through the South Pacific, hit 28 knots in the Southern Ocean, and survived a mystery collision at speed. Their 2010 Class40 cost a fraction of the newer boats, but they rebuilt it themselves and now sit fourth overall. Cape Horn is next. Heart fluttering? Yes. Backing off? Not a chance.

The Long Haul of Tony Parker (10 min read)
Nearly 80 years old and still mixing it up at the front, Annapolis legend Tony Parker just took second at the J/24 Worlds in Plymouth after five days of 20 to 30 knots and pure chaos. He’s been sailing J/24s for 47 years and still hasn’t lost the edge, finishing just seven points off gold against a skipper 47 years younger. No sanding keels himself, but his boat is immaculate and his crew is sharp. He’ll be 82 at the next nearby Worlds. Don’t count him out.

Grondin, Cayard claim 2025 Rolex honors (4 min read)
Paul Cayard and Laura Grondin just picked up US Sailing’s top individual prize, the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. Cayard grabbed his second Star World title, 37 years after his first, proving class is permanent. Grondin made history as the first female helm to win the J/70 Worlds, sealing it in a final-race showdown and backing it up with second at the Melges 24 Worlds. Not bad company to join on that trophy list.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

Thirteen F50s charging down a reach at nearly 90 km/h, gusts firing off the shoreline, and then a sickening thud. New Zealand lost control, spun up, and ended up directly in front of France with nowhere to go. Quentin Delapierre’s last-second wheel flick may have stopped it being even worse, but two sailors were injured and racing was abandoned. The grandstand went from screaming to silent in seconds. It’s a raw look at how thin the margin is when these boats are on the edge.