{"id":87693,"date":"2026-02-13T10:42:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:42:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automotive.einnews.com\/article\/892063660"},"modified":"2026-02-13T10:42:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:42:43","slug":"heading-to-auckland-ds-automobiles-sailgp-team-france-ready-for-a-high-intensity-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/13\/heading-to-auckland-ds-automobiles-sailgp-team-france-ready-for-a-high-intensity-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"Heading to Auckland: DS Automobiles SailGP Team France ready for a High-Intensity Weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

After an impressive season opener in Perth \u2014 marked by podium success and dominance in the fleet races \u2014 the DS Automobiles SailGP Team France, led by driver Quentin Delapierre, returns to competition this weekend in Auckland for the second Sail Grand Prix of the 2026 season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The official practice race was cancelled due to strong winds, and Sunday\u2019s racing has been moved forward to 11:30am local time as challenging conditions are expected throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n

One month after demonstrating both speed and ambition, the DS Team France heads into this New Zealand event with a clear objective: to confirm its strong start in conditions that promise to be even more demanding.<\/p>\n

Strong winds forecast, thirteen nations on the start line, and a racecourse renowned for its technical complexity\u2026 Auckland is set to deliver high-intensity racing.<\/p>\n

A Spectacular Stadium Course in the Heart of the City<\/strong>
Racing will take place at Wynyard Point, Hammer Street, in the Waitemat? Harbour \u2014 a natural arena located at the heart of Auckland\u2019s waterfront.<\/p>\n

This racecourse offers exceptional proximity to spectators while remaining highly demanding for the crews. Sheltered by the harbour\u2019s configuration yet open to the influences of the Hauraki Gulf, the venue is known for strong and unstable winds, land-effect shifts, and occasionally choppy waters.<\/p>\n

Ideal conditions to showcase the technical mastery of the 13 competing teams\u2026 and to deliver world-class spectacle.<\/p>\n

Strong Winds Expected: Show Time<\/strong>
Forecasts predict sustained winds throughout the weekend, with gusts capable of pushing the F50s to their limits.<\/p>\n

In these conditions, the flying catamarans can exceed 100 km\/h (60+ mph), making every manoeuvre decisive and every mistake costly. On a compact racecourse, gaps open quickly and the slightest hesitation can change the outcome of a race.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

DS Automobiles SailGP Team France helmed by Quentin Delapierre leading NORTHSTAR SailGP Team in action on Race Day 2 of the Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG in Perth, Australia. Sunday 18 January 2026. Rolex SailGP Championship Event 1 2026 Season. Photo: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP. Handout image supplied by SailGP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The spectacle promises to be total.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Philippe Presti, Team Manager of the DS Automobiles SailGP Team France, the work undertaken since Perth has been methodical and thorough:<\/p>\n

\u201cSince Perth, we\u2019ve conducted an in-depth debrief, capitalising on what worked well while clearly identifying our areas for improvement. Lucas Delcourt carried out detailed data analysis, and we reworked our tactical approach based on the onboard footage from across the fleet. We feel that we\u2019re building something solid.<\/p>\n

In Auckland, conditions are expected to be strong \u2014 possibly very strong. That could mean racing with a smaller wing and smaller appendages on the F50. But we are in the middle of the Pacific, far from the coast, and things can change quickly. Our ambitions remain the same: continue progressing and, if we manage to put all the pieces together, we won\u2019t be far from the podium.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Sailing Nation, A Passionate Crowd<\/strong>
Auckland is not nicknamed the \u201cCity of Sails\u201d by chance. New Zealand has a deeply rooted maritime culture, with sailing playing a central role in the nation\u2019s sporting identity.<\/p>\n

New Zealand fans are known for their expertise and passion. At Wynyard Point, thousands of spectators are expected to gather to witness the battles on the water. The atmosphere promises to be electric, with fans positioned close to the action in a true open-air stadium setting.<\/p>\n

In Auckland, the DS Automobiles SailGP Team France is ready to rise to the challenge.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

… the fleet races \u00e2\u0080\u0094 the DS Automobiles<\/span> SailGP Team France, led by … of a race. DS Automobiles<\/span> SailGP Team France helmed by … Team Manager of the DS Automobiles<\/span> SailGP Team France, the work … setting. In Auckland, the DS Automobiles<\/span> SailGP Team France is ready …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87693"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87693\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}