SailGP said that it plans to equip its fleet of F50 mono-design boats, starting next year with a new foil type, in order to increase the speed and tighten the racing.

The organizers of the global racing circuit's fifth season, which begins in Dubai next month, have said that the F50s will be fitted with T-shaped foils in Auckland before the event.

SailGP CEO Russell Coutts stated that the addition of T Foils to racing next season would be a game changer. It will help us produce faster, more exciting racing.

The T-Foils allow teams to be more in control and perform better at high speeds. "One of the biggest surprises was the improved performance upwind," he said of the new hydrofoils that lift the F50s off the water.

Organisers said that while 11 national teams will be in Dubai for the opening event of the season 2025, a second team is expected to arrive in Auckland for the second.

SailGP reported that the T-foils, which are made of titanium and carbon, have thinner sections compared to the L-shaped foils they replace, reducing drag when traveling at high speeds. They had also been tested by several teams in the past 18 months.

SailGP said that the Canada SailGP team reached 101.98 km/h, the fastest speed ever recorded on an F50 while testing the new foils in San Francisco.

SailGP stated that the outer tips of these new foils are designed to break off in case of a collision between two boats at high speed. This will help to improve safety.

SailGP said that they are currently producing new foils for light winds, which will allow the F50s to foil in less wind than before.

"I anticipate that the foils will have a greater impact on the racing and competition in general. Coutts stated that the lighter wind will make racing faster and more exciting for both athletes and spectators. (Reporting and editing by Ken Ferris; Alexander Smith is the reporter)

(source: Reuters)