SailGP boats in action in Sydney, with New Zealand on the left. Photo: Photosport
SailGP has cancelled next month's Rio event after identifying a defect in select wingsails in the F50 fleet, allowing time for repairs ahead of the June event in New York.
The problem was identified after the Australian boat's wing collapsed in San Francisco last month, prompting testing and analysis.
Organisers said they would consider potential options to reschedule.
"Our engineers and technicians have discovered an issue with the bonding of the core material in the shear web of some of the wingsails, which could potentially compromise the structural integrity of those wingsails," said SailGP chief executive Russell Coutts.
"We've made the prudent choice to suspend next month's event, giving us sufficient time to complete repairs and conduct any further investigations."
Peter Burling's New Zealand team is fourth in this year's series with 26 points, five behind leaders Australia, with Great Britain second and Spain third. New Zealand won the opening event in Dubai.
SailGP is set to return to New York from 7-8 June.
- Reuters
