Anchors Aweigh: A Newcomers Guide to the Action-Packed World of SailGP

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Humans have been sailing for millenia but we've come a long way since the days of canvas sails and wooden oars. No matter your experience on the high seas, you've never seen something quite like SailGP. This global racing series first hit the water in 2019 but has quickly become one of the most popular events on the water worldwide.

The series was in Sydney last year and returns for another event on Saturday, February 24 and Sunday, February 25, 2024. Now in its fourth season, the competition is at an all-time high and you'll want to be there to see it go down. First, there's a few things we need to catch you up on.

David Callow for SailGP.

WHAT IS SAILGP?

SailGP is an international racing series featuring top sailors from around the world. Originally the competition was between a fleet of five teams but currently ten teams will represent their home nations on a field of nautical combat that puts skill and coordination over technological advantages (which so often define the results of other sailing leagues). That's achieved by setting a level playing field: each team sails the exact model of vessel (more on that soon) and shares technical data from each race.

The KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix in Sydney will be the eighth event out of 13 that make up the 2023-2024 season. Specifics on scoring, course design and penalties are best explained by SailGP themselves but, to help visualise the race, it's all about speed and precision, like Formula 1 — except powered by wind and water.

Felix Diemer for SailGP

THE F50 CATAMARAN — A CRASH COURSE

The F50 Catamaran is SailGP's pride and joy, a purpose-built vessel for the series used by all teams and collectively owned and maintained by SailGP. Based on the AC50's used in the 2017 America's Cup, the F50 is the culmination of almost a decade of research — a vessel designed to not only move at incredible speeds but to operate at its best while under stress.

The basic objective was to create a vessel that moves with foils and rudders but is faster and more stable than others of its kind. In perfect conditions, the F50 is projected to be capable of moving at 100 kilometres per hour.

Sparing the specific details only an engineer would understand, the materials and minuscule design points lead to one key result: the boat flies. The fatal flaw of racing on water is cavitation: when the water is disturbed so powerfully it starts to boil, effectively killing the momentum of the vessel as pockets of water instantly expand and implode around it. The engineering of the F50 foils (the leg bits in the water) means that this only happens when the speedometer is in the red — the boat essentially bends the laws of physics to squeeze out extra speed.

Phil Hillyard for SailGP

AUSTRALIA'S OWN — THE FLYING ROOS

It's not bragging if it's a fact: Australia's team are the three-time undefeated champions of the global SailGP series. Our Flying Roos have come out on top in every season to date. Despite having not technically 'won' any of the finals this season, they've racked up enough points to be at the top of the S4 leaderboard by making it through to the final of every event.

The F50 requires a crew of six perfectly coordinated sailors, each with a designated role. For Australia: Tom Slingsby is the driver, leading the crew and steering the boat; flight controller Jason Waterhouse maintains a steady elevation of the boat; Kyle Langford is the wing trimmer, managing the wing; grinders Sam Newtown and Kinley Fowler help power the trimming of the wing; and strategists Natasha Bryant and Nina Curtis provide strategic advice to the crew by analysing wind conditions, rival teams in the race and more.

Patrick Hamilton for SailGP

THE COMPETITION

The current roster of competing SailGP teams is made up of Australia, Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. Past teams have included China and Japan, and an Italian team is set to join in a future season.

And while Australia may have dominated the competition, other teams have come close to taking the championship. The inaugural season saw Australia locked in a battle for supremacy with Japan, and China jostled to end up with a podium place. Season two saw the Aussies once again clash with the Japanese team while the American team came in third. Finally, in season three Australia duelled with neighbouring newcomers New Zealand while Great Britain swept into third place.

At the time of writing, now well into season four Australia holds an eleven-point lead over Denmark, with New Zealand twelve points behind in third place.

Adam Warner for SailGP

THE SEASON SO FAR

Headed into the latter half of season four, Australia maintains a firm lead — but victory isn't guaranteed.

Driver Tom Slingsby is named by some as the key to the Aussie success but, as previously mentioned, Australia hasn't won a final in this season so far. The team has performed consistently up to the point of victory. The last actual victory for the team was the season three grand final in May.

Slingsby voiced his irritation at the team not winning an event in S4 in an interview for SailGP — "I know it's good for the overall points but I'm getting a bit sick of hearing 'oh it's good for the overall points' at the end of an event."

Now heading to the January event in Abu Dhabi, Slingsby will return after missing the previous Dubai event for the birth of his first child. Will the Aussies be able to secure the win? It's anyone's guess in this race.

Patrick Hamilton for SailGP

THE SYDNEY EVENT

At the time of writing, one event has yet to take place before the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney. Following Abu Dhabi in January 2024, all teams will hit the water on Sydney Harbour on the last weekend in February.

Spectators can catch the action from a range of designated areas. The top pick for experiencing the race is Genesis Island, which has all-inclusive food and beverages, live race commentary, and boat transfers from Barangaroo to the experience on Shark Island. The Genesis Island vantage point is available for Silver and Bronze ticket-buyers and provides a variety of boarding times.

Otherwise, you can properly get in the splash zone on an open-top Official Spectator Boat, book a spot with a privately-owned vessel inside the public exclusion zone with a Bring Your Own Boat flag, or go full luxe with a chartered Adrenaline Yacht. If you can't make it to the race, it'll be broadcast live on Foxtel Sports and Kayo. You can also go behind the scenes with a Team Base Tour or mingle with fellow fans at the SailGP Village, offering activities pre-and-post racing.

The KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix will take place on Saturday, February 24 and Sunday, February 25, 2024. For more information or to book tickets, visit the website.

Images supplied by SailGP.