New venue, new foils add to the uncertainty at SailGP race in Auckland
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A new venue and new technology will add an element of uncertainty to the second round of the SailGP which will be raced Saturday and Sunday on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour.
The 12 teams in the global series will be racing in Auckland for the first time and using new titanium foils T-Foils which have just been shared with the teams after two years of testing.
The foils are the appendages which allow the 50-foot catamarans to rise up out of the water and effectively “fly” across the surface at high speeds.
While training with the t-shaped foils in strong winds in Auckland this week, defending champion New Zealand reached speeds of 97.2 kph (60.4 mph), supporting organizers’ hopes of faster and closer racing.
“You definitely feel that the speeds are a lot higher,” New Zealand flight controller Leo Takahashi said. “The foils are a lot more stable, but at the same time the acceleration is so quick.
“It’s definitely going to be good racing out there this weekend, especially if we get similar conditions.”
Australian driver Tom Slingsby said it is conceivable the in-competition speed record of 99.94 kph (61.5 mph) could be broken this weekend.
“It’s lining up that we could for sure with Sunday’s forecast and the new foils,” Slingsby said. “The new foils definitely have the potential to go faster.
“We’ve seen the Canadian team in the testing phase did 103 kph so it’s out there. We’ll get the conditions so it will up to the teams to see if we can pull it off.”
SailGP chief executive Russell Coutts said the T-Foils, which replace the L-Foils which have been used since the series’ conception in 2019, could “level the playing field” in the fleet.
“Some of the teams we’ve seen at the top of the leader board the last few seasons won’t have any more experience on T-Foils than the new teams, so it will be really interesting to see where everyone ends up this weekend,” Andy Maloney, flight controller for Mubadala Brazil, said.
Anna Weis of the United States SailGP team said there is potential for teams lower down the rankings to make quick gains on the leaders if they adapt quickly to the technology.
“I think it creates a space for new teams to make quicker gains since they are new for everyone,” Weis said. “Our team were trying to watch the Kiwis and the Aussies, some of the best team here, and so we’re just trying to learn from everyone and improve as quickly as we can.”
The weather in Auckland will be another key factor. The teams have practiced this week in strong and gusty winds and strong easterlies are expected on Sunday.
“We’ve got the T-Foils and the new configuration so that throws a bit of uncertainty in terms of who the favorites are,” New Zealand driver Peter Burling said. “It’s looking like a windy weekend so there will be a lot of high speed action.”
Only 11 teams will line up of the start line Saturday and Sunday. The French team is unable to compete because its boat is not ready. France also missed the season opener in Dubai in November but now hopes to be ready for the next leg in Sydney on Feb. 8-9.
“It’s a big disappointment but it is what it is,” driver Quentin Delapierre said. “We just want to be focused on the next outings, especially Sydney, making sure we are ready to perform and win races, as we did two seasons ago.”
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