Leigh McMillan Returns to the Water With French America's Cup Team After Traumatic Shoulder Injury

On July 2, British sailing veteran Leigh McMillan stepped back onto a foiling monohull, marking a triumphant milestone after a grueling physical rehabilitation. The highly decorated trimmer joined his crewmates on the La Roche-Posay Racing Team for a rigorous five-hour training session in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Lorient, France. For McMillan, simply being back on the water represented a massive victory following a four-and-a-half-month absence from competitive sailing. The session signaled that his surgically repaired shoulder is finally ready to withstand the immense physical loads required to fly a 75-foot yacht above the waves.

The return session was no gentle reintroduction to the sport. Sailing the AC75 in difficult seaways and winds gusting up to 18 knots, the French syndicate put their platform and their crew through a punishing series of tacks and gybes. McMillan's veteran presence—he has sailed in three previous America's Cups—was immediately felt on board. He helped settle a crew that includes newer AC75 recruits, such as 2024 Olympic gold medalist Diego Botín, who is just beginning to adapt to the blistering speeds and split-second decision-making demanded by the America's Cup class.

McMillan's successful return closes a painful chapter that began in mid-February at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland. While trimming the wing for DS Automobiles Team France, McMillan was caught in a devastating high-speed collision with the New Zealand Black Foils F50 catamaran. The violent crash, which occurred just seconds after the start of a fleet race, severely damaged both vessels and sent three athletes—including McMillan—to the hospital. It remains one of the most destructive incidents in the history of the SailGP circuit.[1]

The impact caused severe trauma to McMillan's shoulder, instantly halting his season. He later revealed that the collision completely detached his supraspinatus and scapularis tendons from the bone, requiring immediate surgical intervention. Dr. Alan Young performed the operation in Auckland, successfully reattaching the tendons. However, the severity of the tear meant McMillan faced a long, slow recovery process, beginning with weeks completely immobilized in a specialized arm brace before he could even commence basic physical therapy.

While McMillan focused entirely on his rehabilitation, he was forced to watch from the sidelines as the SailGP calendar rolled on. He missed a string of high-profile events in Rio de Janeiro, Bermuda, New York, and Halifax. In his absence, the French SailGP team leaned on high-profile substitutes to keep their Season 6 campaign afloat, bringing in veteran Glenn Ashby and World Moth Champion Enzo Balanger to manage the wing trimming duties while McMillan's shoulder slowly healed.[1]

During McMillan's time away from the water, the French America's Cup effort also underwent a massive transformation. Formerly known as K-Challenge, the syndicate secured a lucrative new title partnership with the L'Oréal Group's dermatological brand, officially rebranding as the La Roche-Posay Racing Team in March. The injection of new backing revitalized the French campaign, allowing them to finalize their sailing roster and commit to an intensive testing schedule in their AC75 sister-ship.[2]

Led by skipper Quentin Delapierre and sporting director Philippe Presti, the newly branded French syndicate has assembled a diverse roster that blends Olympic precision with offshore grit. McMillan's return injects vital heavy-boat foiling experience into a squad that holds the maximum 55 permitted training days in their AC75. His muscle memory and tactical calmness provide an essential safety net, allowing the team's younger Olympic champions to push the boat's limits without crossing the line into catastrophic errors.

As the team pushes through their intensive summer training block in Lorient, their focus remains squarely on the horizon. The squad is preparing to relocate to Naples, Italy, where the 38th America's Cup will be contested in 2027. With McMillan now fully cleared for action and back in his familiar trimming position, the French syndicate has regained a crucial piece of the puzzle as they accelerate their pursuit of the oldest trophy in international sports.[2]