SailGP rolled out their new high speed T-Foils earlier this season, now come the light air version.
Constructed from titanium and carbon, the high speed T-Foils feature thinner sections and are designed to reduce drag, allowing the boats to reach higher speeds and improve control.
Not resting on their laurals, SailGP have been working to push the boundaries of what they can do in light air conditions as well.
With this latest Light-Air foil package SailGP is tackling a major event staging problem that arises when races have to be postponed or cancelled.
It will also tackle the lack of reliable foiling performance during light-air races producing wildly fluctuating and unexpected results.
NorthStar Canada flight controller Billy Gooderham and naval architect Paul Bieker reveal more about the development and testing of the light air foils so far.
To provide this improved performance a new T-foil Light Air package will provide better racing further down the wind range.
From recent testing the new foils should allow teams to foil the boat in maybe six knots of true wind speed.
The main difference is the surface area, the increased surface area will provide more lifting force, to allow the F50s to take-off and foil at lower boat speeds.
It will also allow the teams to complete foiling manoeuvres at slower boat speeds but there’s always a trade-off . . . when you have more area you have more drag.
In testing the foils have performed well in medium winds.
Sailing on them in 12 to 15 knots (22 to 27.8 KM/H) of wind they performed really well, providing a big area of performance crossover between the high-speed foils and the and the low speed foils. Which means it will be hard to have the wrong foil on for the day.
SailGP 50 racing is at its best when the multihulls are foiling, so being able to achieve that status over a wider wind range is essential to allow the class to perform at its best in the varied event locations, and produce a reliable commercial spectator event.
The next SailGP event is the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix 7 and 8 June 2025
