SailGP has confirmed that its new high-speed T-Foils will be added to its entire international fleet of F50s in January 2025, ahead of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix.
SailGP CEO Russell Coutts said the development would be a ‘game changer,’ anticipating the league’s latest upgrade would bring faster speeds and the most competitive racing to date.
The T-Foils will replace the existing L-Foils that have been used since SailGP’s inception in 2019. Constructed from machined titanium and carbon, the high-speed T-Foils have thinner sections than the current L-Foils, reducing the drag at high speed.
The Canada SailGP Team clocked 101.98 km/h (55 knots / 63.36 mph) in a wind speed of 32 km/h, using the new foils while testing in San Francisco, the fastest-ever speed registered on an F50.
SailGP has had a long-term ambition to introduce T-Foils, which have been specifically designed to improve performance, control and safety of the F50s at high speeds.
They are also less prone to damage when subjected to high negative loads in a nose-dive which has been an issue with the original foils.
Safety was also a key consideration in the upgrade. In addition to providing more control and performance, the outer tips of the T-Foils – which protrude outside the hulls – have been designed to break off in the event of a high-impact boat on boat collision.
Further testing and refinement of the T-Foils will be carried out ahead of Auckland, before final adoption across the fleet.
In addition to the high-speed T-Foils, SailGP is also in the process of producing new light-wind foils, designed to ensure the F50s are able to get up onto the foils at almost 3 km/h less wind than currently feasible.
Ahead of testing in Dubai, which is where SailGP’s opening event of its 2024/2025 will take place, Coutts said,
“I expect the light-wind foils to have an even bigger impact on our racing and the competition as a whole. It will provide faster-paced, more entertaining racing for the athletes and fans in lighter winds and provide greater certainty of racing within the targeted broadcast window – irrespective of conditions.”
SailGP has confirmed an 11-team lineup will be on the startline in Dubai on 23 and 24 November, with a 12th national team joining the fleet at the second event of the season, in Auckland in January 2025.
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