SailGP 2023-2024 Season and Championship
Three locations left in Season 4 of the SailGP racing grand prix event.
May 13, 2024
All eyes were on Bermuda over the first weekend of May as the US boat capsized, sending its racers tumbling into the foil. All crew were unharmed but since this happened on a practice race and the boat couldn’t be repaired in time, it did knock the United States out of this stopover. The cause for the capsize of the F50 was user error when trimmer, Victor Diaz de Leon, pressed a button which inverted the wing (mainsail) by accident.
Above: SailGP is the most exciting racing on water - Powered By Nature. Image via SailGP.
Sail Grad Prix racing has captured the imaginations of sailors and non-sailors alike and the group has developed a 13-location racing season with all kinds of interesting addons such as being able to spectate from your own boat or go glamping as part of a “curated VIP experience.” With sponsors like Land Rover, Louis Vuitton and Oracle, you can bet these are glitzy events that span the globe from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Sydney, Saint Tropez and both coasts of the US. The current season isn’t over yet so you may be able to score tickets for the three remaining venues all of which are in North America.
What is SailGP?
For anyone not yet familiar with sailboat racing’s newest and hottest international one-design event, SailGP is a racing league which currently includes 10 professional teams. It was started by founders Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts in 2019. The high-performance boats are fully foiling 50-foot catamarans sailed by 6 crew and representing 10 countries. Season 5 is expected to introduce two more teams. The current season was launched in June 2023 and will run through July 2024 with three locations currently left to go.
How is SailGP Racing Organized?
At each stopover, there are two practice race days and two race days with three races on the first day and two on the second. The final is a match race between the top two teams and the winner takes home the $1million USD.
SailGP F50 Boats
The F50s are 43’ 9” LOA with a 28’11” beam. They weigh only 6,173 pounds and can reach a top speed of 53 knots. They’re raced by a crew of 6 and are estimated to cost $5-6 million apiece.
The boats use L-shaped foils for the daggerboards and rudders with elevators made of high modulus (stronger than typical) carbon fiber. Already in testing are new thinner T-foils set for use in Season 5 with the expectation that these boards which will contain titanium and will improve speed by delaying cavitation.
Driving an F50
As mentioned above, it takes a team of 5, or 6 if you count the strategist, to race an F50. First is the driver or helm who’s responsible for all decision regarding the course and communicating them to the crew. Next is the flight controller whose job is to keep the boat level and airborne or foiling because when the boat touches the water, it’s a mistake, even if the boat is upright. Then there’s the wing trimer who controls the wing’s shape and coordinates with the driver on how to distribute power and maximize speed through the water. There are also two trimmers. One faces forward and one faces aft and they help trim the wing sheet. Finally, there’s the strategist or tactician who sits behind the driver keeping an eye on the bigger picture, avoiding collisions with the rest of the fleet, and feeding the driver critical information.
Seven-time world champion sailor Taylor Canfield leads the US team in Season 4. After Bermuda, the team is ranked 7th out of 10. Tom Slingsby of Australia won the first three seasons of SailGP and Spain just took the honors for the 2024 Bermuda stopover.
Tickets for the Remainder of Season 4
There are three remaining racing venues in Season 4. Halifax in Canada will host June 1-2, New York on June 22-23, and finally San Francisco on July 13-14. Waterfront tickets for Halifax are sold out but you can still purchase BYOB (Bring Your Own Boat) tickets and watch from your own deck with a specially assigned position.
Regular tickets are still available for the last two venues but you’d better hurry. Prices vary by venue and where you watch from but they start around $75 and go upwards of several hundred dollars. The numerous parties at each location are quintessentially yachting chic with food, cocktails and live music. The atmosphere is a mix of Formula 1 racing combined with the Kentucky Derby.
Five Short Years to Success
SailGP has accomplished something that no other sail racing event has to date – they’ve engineered multi-location races around the world that generate high visibility and attract millions in sponsorships. With new technology and potentially a dozen teams, Season 5 is shaping out to be a gamechanger.
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