SailGP rounds up the biggest stories this week, from the Singapore lightning strike on New Zealand's F50 to rounding up the best racing moments from last weekend's racing.
Damage review underway after New Zealand F50 struck by lightning in Singapore
First up is the news that the Kiwi F50 was hit by lightning shortly after racing ended in Singapore on Sunday. The strike, which happened when the boat was being towed back to the Tech Site, hit the top of the mast and caused serious damage to the F50. Assessments are underway, but the full extent of the damage remains unknown, leaving the Tech Team with a race against time to get the boat repaired in time for the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix next month.
Great Britain’s Hannah Mills reflects on ‘amazing’ return to racing in Singapore
Next up, Great Britain athlete Hannah Mills reflected on her ‘amazing’ return to racing after the birth of her first child. Mills rejoined the team after more than a year away, and took on a grinding position on the first day of racing in Singapore before resuming her strategist position on Sunday. “The biggest positive for me is getting through it in one piece (…) after more than a year out of the boat,” Mills said after racing,
WATCH: 5 moments you might have missed from the Singapore Sail Grand Prix
Next up are five of the most exciting racing moments from Singapore, including New Zealand’s pre-race collision with the United States, which earned them a four-point penalty before racing had even started, and Switzerland’s first ever race win.
‘With high wind venues ahead, we can finish the season strong’: Slingsby dissects Singapore Final; looks ahead to Sydney
In fourth, Australia driver Tom Slingsby dissects the team’s ‘scrappy’ second day performance in Singapore, which saw the Aussies finish in third behind Denmark and New Zealand. Despite that, Slingsby says he was ‘stoked’ to pick up another podium finish, and is in a ‘comfortable position’ heading into Sydney, Christchurch and San Francisco.
New Zealand’s Blair Tuke and Denmark’s Katja Salskov-Iversen: ‘SailGP’s Women’s Pathway is just the start’
Lastly, Denmark strategist Katja Salskov-Iversen and New Zealand wing trimmer Blair Tuke reflect on SailGP’s pioneering Women’s Pathway initiative. Speaking at SailGP’s Champions For Change event at the Singapore Sail Grand Prix, Tuke and Salskov-Iversen discussed the impact of the Women’s Pathway but agreed that there was ‘much further to go’ to change the historic gender divide in sailing.
