Wingsail crumples on a foiling 50-foot catamaran during SailGP training

HAMILTON, Bermuda (AP) — The wingsail of a foiling F50 catamaran being steered by Martine Grael of Brazil suddenly crumpled and crashed to the deck on Monday during a SailGP preseason training camp. There were no injuries.

The boat was foiling at about 70 kph (43 mph) when the wing measuring 24 meters (79 feet) failed. Video from the boat appears to show the crew beginning a maneuver. While one crewman ran to the jib, which began flapping, another crewman scrambled to the base of the wing and then back to the starboard cockpit, narrowly avoiding the falling debris. A loud popping sound could be heard.

Grael, a double Olympic gold medalist, was announced last week as the first woman to helm a boat in the global league, which was co-founded by tech billionaire Larry Ellison and five-time America's Cup winner Russell Coutts of New Zealand. The six-person crew Monday included both new Brazilian team members and experienced SailGP athletes.

The extensive damage will affect the rest of the training camp since there's just one boat in Bermuda. The next training camp will be before the first regatta of Season 5 in Dubai on Nov. 23-24.

Exactly one year earlier, Team New Zealand's 29-meter (95-foot) wingsail suddenly shattered and fell into the Mediterranean in a stunning scene just moments after the Kiwis finished racing on the first day of the France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez. The crew escaped injuries but the damage sidelined the boat through the following regatta.

The highly complex wingsails look and function like airliner wings, providing the power that allows the 50-foot catamarans to foil above the waves approaching highway speeds. They can be configured for different strength winds and weigh between 400 and 500 kilograms (between 900 and 1,100 pounds).

SailGP includes the world's best sailors, including many who have won Olympic medals and the America's Cup. The $2 million, winner-take-all season championship race is the biggest cash prize in sailing.

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The Associated Press