SailGP is rolling out major innovations at this weekend’s ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez, introducing redesigned rudders across the fleet and trialling new foil-protection software aimed at boosting both performance and safety.
The new rudders are the result of more than a year of testing and development
Started in January 2024. The league’s new rudders are thinner, with a longer cord length and more efficient elevators, they give the F50s better control at high speeds and better flailing performance in low speed.
One of the biggest gains is a higher threshold for cavitation
Cavitation is a phenomenon where the difference in pressure causes the water around the foil to boil, thereby reducing stability that makes the boats unstable. Cavitation used to occur at around 83 km/h (51 mph), but with the new design it won’t set in until the boats are pushing past 106 km/h (66 mph). That means crews can drive the F50s harder, with more stability and confidence in top-end conditions.
Alongside the hardware, SailGP is accelerating, for final testing in Saint-Tropez, newly-developed software is also set to provide an extra layer of protection for crews when managing extreme loads experienced during high-speed manoeuvres.
The software will identify when the F50 is sailing in a high-speed, highly-loaded moment, and automatically put an increased positive angle of attack (rake) into the daggerboard (foil) to mitigate the risk of over-loading the boat.
These innovations mark a significant step forward in SailGP’s approach to performance engineering, where gains must always balance speed with safety.
The ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix takes place September 12-13 in Saint-Tropez, before the championship heads to Switzerland for the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix on Lake Geneva, September 20-21.
We’ll be watching closely and wishing all teams well for an exciting weekend of racing.
Congratulations also go to the U.S. SailGP Team and Mubadala Brazil for the successful completion of major repairs after sustaining damage at last month’s Sassnitz event
Both F50s were rapidly refitted at SailGP Technologies, with Brazil receiving system upgrades and structural testing, and the U.S. boat having an entirely new port hull section built from bow to stern. Both teams are now back on-site in Saint-Tropez, completing final land and water checks ahead of racing.
