The league has long planned to move to a split-fleet format once they get 14 boats in the fleet, which will happen in 2027.<\/p>\n
SailGP trialled the format in Auckland last year for practice but chose not to race in it. It has, however, continued to split the fleet for practice racing. <\/p>\n
Coutts did, however, believe the split-fleet format would not really change much for the first leg of races \u2013 a straight-line sprint to the mark \u2013 but would remove congestion around the markers, particularly at the bottom gate.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really doesn\u2019t really affect that situation that happened yesterday because they were sailing in a straight line and that could happen with two boats. You know, it could happen in a match race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coutts praised the response from the SailGP safety team after the collision between the two boats and said a review of the situation had been undertaken overnight so the league could react before racing began on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The incident saw Black Foils grinder Louis Sinclair suffer compound fractures while French strategist Manon Audinet suffered an abdominal injury that Coutts referred to as \u201cinternal bruising.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also said a sailor was trapped in a compartment of the boat in the immediate aftermath of the crash.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were lessons to be learned about the communications and the way we assess the situation. There always are and that\u2019s the goal of a situation, a program like that. Fortunately nobody was really seriously injured and you can take those lessons away and perhaps respond in a better way in the future and learn by it and perhaps save a life if you have a similar situation in the future.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u2013 More to come<\/p>\n