sailboat gp racing

Sail GP: how do supercharged racing yachts go so fast? An engineer explains

Head of Engineering, Warsash School of Maritime Science and Engineering, Solent University

Disclosure statement

Jonathan Ridley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

View all partners

Sailing used to be considered as a rather sedate pastime. But in the past few years, the world of yacht racing has been revolutionised by the arrival of hydrofoil-supported catamarans, known as “foilers”. These vessels, more akin to high-performance aircraft than yachts, combine the laws of aerodynamics and hydrodynamics to create vessels capable of speeds of up to 50 knots, which is far faster than the wind propelling them.

An F50 catamaran preparing for the Sail GP series recently even broke this barrier, reaching an incredible speed of 50.22 knots (57.8mph) purely powered by the wind. This was achieved in a wind of just 19.3 knots (22.2mph). F50s are 15-metre-long, 8.8-metre-wide hydrofoil catamarans propelled by rigid sails and capable of such astounding speeds that Sail GP has been called the “ Formula One of sailing ”. How are these yachts able to go so fast? The answer lies in some simple fluid dynamics.

As a vessel’s hull moves through the water, there are two primary physical mechanisms that create drag and slow the vessel down. To build a faster boat you have to find ways to overcome the drag force.

The first mechanism is friction. As the water flows past the hull, a microscopic layer of water is effectively attached to the hull and is pulled along with the yacht. A second layer of water then attaches to the first layer, and the sliding or shearing between them creates friction.

On the outside of this is a third layer, which slides over the inner layers creating more friction, and so on. Together, these layers are known as the boundary layer – and it’s the shearing of the boundary layer’s molecules against each other that creates frictional drag.

A yacht also makes waves as it pushes the water around and under the hull from the bow (front) to the stern (back) of the boat. The waves form two distinctive patterns around the yacht (one at each end), known as Kelvin Wave patterns.

These waves, which move at the same speed as the yacht, are very energetic. This creates drag on the boat known as the wave-making drag, which is responsible for around 90% of the total drag. As the yacht accelerates to faster speeds (close to the “hull speed”, explained later), these waves get higher and longer.

These two effects combine to produce a phenomenon known as “ hull speed ”, which is the fastest the boat can travel – and in conventional single-hull yachts it is very slow. A single-hull yacht of the same size as the F50 has a hull speed of around 12 mph.

However, it’s possible to reduce both the frictional and wave-making drag and overcome this hull-speed limit by building a yacht with hydrofoils . Hydrofoils are small, underwater wings. These act in the same way as an aircraft wing, creating a lift force which acts against gravity, lifting our yacht upwards so that the hull is clear of the water.

While an aircraft’s wings are very large, the high density of water compared to air means that we only need very small hydrofoils to produce a lot of the important lift force. A hydrofoil just the size of three A3 sheets of paper, when moving at just 10 mph, can produce enough lift to pick up a large person.

This significantly reduces the surface area and the volume of the boat that is underwater, which cuts the frictional drag and the wave-making drag, respectively. The combined effect is a reduction in the overall drag to a fraction of its original amount, so that the yacht is capable of sailing much faster than it could without hydrofoils.

The other innovation that helps boost the speed of racing yachts is the use of rigid sails . The power available from traditional sails to drive the boat forward is relatively small, limited by the fact that the sail’s forces have to act in equilibrium with a range of other forces, and that fabric sails do not make an ideal shape for creating power. Rigid sails, which are very similar in design to an aircraft wing, form a much more efficient shape than traditional sails, effectively giving the yacht a larger engine and more power.

As the yacht accelerates from the driving force of these sails, it experiences what is known as “ apparent wind ”. Imagine a completely calm day, with no wind. As you walk, you experience a breeze in your face at the same speed that you are walking. If there was a wind blowing too, you would feel a mixture of the real (or “true” wind) and the breeze you have generated.

The two together form the apparent wind, which can be faster than the true wind. If there is enough true wind combined with this apparent wind, then significant force and power can be generated from the sail to propel the yacht, so it can easily sail faster than the wind speed itself.

The combined effect of reducing the drag and increasing the driving power results in a yacht that is far faster than those of even a few years ago. But all of this would not be possible without one further advance: materials. In order to be able to “fly”, the yacht must have a low mass, and the hydrofoil itself must be very strong. To achieve the required mass, strength and rigidity using traditional boat-building materials such as wood or aluminium would be very difficult.

This is where modern advanced composite materials such as carbon fibre come in. Production techniques optimising weight, rigidity and strength allow the production of structures that are strong and light enough to produce incredible yachts like the F50.

The engineers who design these high-performance boats (known as naval architects ) are always looking to use new materials and science to get an optimum design. In theory, the F50 should be able to go even faster.

• Engineering
• Aerodynamics

School of Social Sciences – Public Policy and International Relations opportunities

Partner, Senior Talent Acquisition

Deputy Editor - Technology

Sydney Horizon Educators (Identified)

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Student Life)

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

SailGP Is Starting to Look All Grown Up

Now in its third season, the series has attracted more teams, more races and the competition has become more intense.

By David Schmidt

With more teams, more events, faster boats and new faces on the winners’ podiums, the third season of SailGP is showing that this start-up is putting on world-class sailing.

There are three more events this year, for a total of 11 across four continents, and two new teams, Canada and Switzerland, which, following the departure of Japan, brings the total number of boats to nine.

Now, at the season’s halfway point, drivers say that the competition has become so close that a single mistake can trigger an insurmountable deficit. And with more of these F50 foiling catamarans traveling at speeds pushing 55 knot s, about 65 miles per hour, packed onto the racecourse, it has become more of a challenge for them to avoid collisions.

“The number of teams is quite a big change,” said Phil Robertson , the driver for fifth-place Canada. “The congestion is huge on the racetrack, and you are always racing with one or two boats within striking distance of each other. There’s not one lemon on the start line, so it’s all on.”

Jimmy Spithill, a two-time America’s Cup winner and the driver for the seventh-place United States team, said with more teams, it’s clearly more dynamic. “Every time you add a team, it changes it up,” he said

While SailGP’s courses are becoming more populated, there are also more courses.

“I actually think more venues is a good thing for everyone, especially the teams that are trying to climb up the leaderboard,” Spithill said. He added that this season’s fuller calendar also provided better continuity. “There’s kind of less time between drinks.”

Since the end of July, SailGP has had four events — in England, Denmark, France and Spain — within about 60 days, a first for the series. The next race is in Dubai starting on Nov. 12.

Russell Coutts , a five-time America’s Cup winner and SailGP’s chief executive, said that this kind of regularity was critical for building a fan base, increasing broadcast viewership and improving the quality of racing.

“The more racing you have, the more competitive the teams are getting,” Coutts said . He added that while SailGP was still in its growth phase, and while this season’s teams were desperate for time sailing and racing boats, this would change.

“As we build our calendar out, like any other sport, in between races they will be looking for rest and just recover,” he said. “Which is where we want to get to, because it’s hard to commercialize practice.”

Achieving this, he admitted, will take time, probably until the sixth season. “Once we get the number of events up,’” Coutts said, “once we expand the number of teams.”

Talk to the drivers, however, and crews said they were feeling the strain of the expanded schedule. “There’s a new level of fatigue within the team,” Robertson said, adding that it could be tough for them to travel home between events. “That’s having to be managed pretty severely, and, to be honest, I don’t think we’ve quite got it right yet,” he said.

When asked if this fatigue was visible, Robertson said SailGP was massively competitive. “Everyone hides their tiredness pretty well,” he said. “No one wants to give an inch.”

Especially as the boats keep getting faster.

SailGP’s foiling catamarans are identical. All boats are upgraded with new equipment at the same time, and all upgrades and repairs are handled by the SailGP Tech Team, which works with each team’s technical group. Also, everyone has access to one another’s data, video and communications from races, which, Coutts said, can help teams increase their knowledge and become competitive faster.

The result is a level field that shifts evenly as the boats, and the racing, evolve.

“The development is coming mainly around the human-machine interface,” Robertson said. He added that newer code and software were important areas of advancement that were allowing teams to push the boats even harder. “We’re actually starting to probably break things that maybe weren’t getting broken in the past through the loads we’re putting through these boats now.”

With closing speeds exceeding 90 knots, boat-on-boat contact can be severe, he said, referring to the speed at which boats sometimes approach one another. Before this season, SailGP included stricter rules aimed at discouraging contact and gave umpires increased discretion in awarding penalties.

But with any racing comes risk.

“It’s still going to happen,” Coutts said about collisions. “We know that, but I think it’s a deterrent, and we want that.”

Collisions can also jeopardize hard work and investment. “There’s only so much equipment,” Spithill said. “To build a new set of foils or a new boat, it can be up to half of a year, half of a season gone.” Spithill said he supported the new rules and was seeing situations where drivers were not attempting what he termed “Hail Mary” moves.

Still, this doesn’t guarantee safety.

“It can be quite nerve-racking, if I’m being honest,” Tom Slingsby , the driver of the two-time-champion Australia SailGP team, said about sharing the course with eight other boats. “What I think is way too close, they think there’s plenty of room, and then it might be vice versa at times, as well. It’s pretty hard getting all the skippers on the same page on what we agree is safe and what is not.”

One evolution in the sport that drivers and leaders said enhanced the racing was the growing role of women sailors. Since SailGP started its Women’s Pathway program, which is aimed at creating gender equity in the league by providing women with access to training and development opportunities, in October of last year, at least 25 women have raced in the events.

Coutts said adding women had made a big difference to some teams. The Canadian team, for example, has women in the strategist role, which is the sailor responsible for looking at the wind, advising about tactical opportunities and steering the boat out of maneuvers.

“It’s definitely accelerated my career by 100 percent this year,” said Georgia Lewin-LaFrance, one of four women who rotate through the strategist role for the Canadian team, about the program. “The Women’s Pathway created that opportunity.”

Lewin-LaFrance said that the role of women in SailGP had accelerated since the Canadian and Swiss teams joined the league, because other teams saw how the Canadians were utilizing their female sailors. “I think that we have really been part of driving that change and showing the value of the sixth person,” she added.

She’s not alone in this assessment.

“That’s one of the things the Canadians did very well early on, that’s one of the reasons they jumped the rest of the fleet,” Coutts said. “I think it’s better racing for it.”

Robertson, the driver for Canada, said he had seen all the teams copy his team’s playbook. “I think it’s super, super cool,” he said.

While the first-place Australians have dominated for most of SailGP’s history, this season has had new faces at awards ceremonies. After six events, seven teams have finished in the top three, including the Canadians and the sixth-place Danish-team, which joined SailGP in the second season.

“It shows that if you have the right approach, you don’t need to wait two or three seasons before you can expect to be competing,” Coutts said. He points to the Danes as a ‘lighthouse’ for other teams. “I think they have just approached it really well; they are sailing the boat fast, they have obviously learned a lot from the data, their coaching is really strong.”

Add up all of this season’s evolutions, and the result is a vanishing margin for error that will only recede as teams approach the final race in San Francisco in May and vie for the $1 million prize for the series championship title.

“In the past, there might have been differences where you’ve been able to make mistakes and get away with it,” Slingsby said. “Make a proper serious mistake on this racetrack, and you’re going to get passed by a lot of boats.”

SailGP Christchurch result: Black Foils win, go top of standings as Australia crash out

Christopher Reive

Share this article

SailGP’s wild weekend on the waters of Lyttelton Harbour was brought to a crowd-pleasing conclusion.

After having to wait a full day for racing after Saturday’s schedule was called off due to dolphin activity on the course, the Black Foils hoisted the event trophy at their home event.

Finishing in second at the global foiling league ’s debut New Zealand stop last year at the same venue, the New Zealand crew went one better this year as they topped France and Canada in the podium race.

“It was absolutely unbelievable; best day, without a doubt, in SailGP, probably one of the best days ever in sailing,” Black Foils wing trimmer Blair Tuke said.

“The support was unbelievable, especially after yesterday. Everyone hung tough today and we’re just stoked we could deliver for everyone today.”

With Saturday’s three-race schedule canned, an additional fleet race was added to Sunday’s two original races, with the 10 teams competing three times before the top three on the leaderboard contested the medal race.

Things got off to a hectic start on Sunday afternoon in “epic” conditions, with Canada, the United States and Denmark all coming in close quarters in the starting box but doing well to avoid a major collision.

The league-leading Australians, however, were not so lucky. Tom Slingsby’s crew didn’t make it through a single leg of the event as they ran over the top of a marker in a bid to avoid colliding with the Canadians. Their boat was damaged as a result and they spent the rest of the race as an obstacle for the rest of the fleet to avoid.

The damage could not be mended quickly and they were unable to sail again in the event.

Harsh as it may be, that was ideal for the Kiwi crew as they looked to close the gap on the Australians on the season leaderboard. Slingsby’s crew went into Christchurch with an eight-point lead on the Kiwis, but took a solitary point for a last-placed finish.

The Kiwis winning the event meant they bagged 10 points for the season tally and took over at the top of the standings.

“It was probably the tight racecourse, especially that first downwind, which caused a lot of issues for the team,” Tuke said.

“We managed to stay clean and the boat was going fast all day. Even when we found ourselves at the back we just hung tough and managed to sneak into the final. A good start in the last one and we stayed in front all the way so it was a really good display from the whole team.”

The Black Foils signalled their intentions early with a quick start in the opening race of the day alongside France. They did, however, find themselves stuck out wide while the French had the inside line.

The French looked set to run away with the opening race, but an impressive fifth leg saw the Kiwis soar through the fleet and take the lead. They held onto it for the remaining two legs and finished fourth in race two.

The Kiwis sailed much of the third race in fourth - behind the other three - but again timed their run perfectly and finished second behind the French, before reversing that in the final.

With four events left in the season, the Kiwis are well-positioned to contest the three-boat Grand Final, in which the top teams on the season contest a one-race shootout for the US$2 million ($3.3m) prize.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.

Latest from Sailing

'Might affect future events': Coutts threatens SailGP return after dolphin saga

The opening day of racing was cancelled after a delay due to a dolphin on the course.

Dolphins cause opening day of SailGP Christchurch to be called off

'I'd never been in a sailboat': How ABs son earned America's Cup call-up

Luca Kirwan on joining Luna Rossa for the America's Cup

Kids missing school to feed families

Live updates: New Zealand Sail Grand Prix at Lyttelton, Christchurch

Newshub's Mitch Redman gets a guided tour of NZ SailGP boat Amokura. Credits: Image - Photosport, video - AM

Click here to refresh page

4:43pm - And that's the end of the day's racing, before it even begins. The racing window has closed and Mother Nature has carried the honours.

Surely tomorrow, we'll be better prepared... such a shame for the record paying crowd, who go home without seeing any racing.

Join us again at 3pm Sunday for live updates of the revised racing scheduled.

4:33pm - Still no racing, due to "mammals on course", which is a little embarrassing. The same thing happened last year and dolphins are quite common in this area, so it wouldn't have takent much foresight to make sure they had something to do somewhere else today.

The opening race has been delayed, after a dolphin was sighted on the course. SailGP is known for its respect for the ocean and nature, so wellbeing of wildlife comes before racing.

2:57pm - Great Britain have been docked points - both from the NZ regatta and the season standings - after a training incident with Spain.

The Brits collided with the Spanish boat during the third practice race on Friday and the penalty may have ended their chances of reaching the series final at San Francisco.

"We’re licking wounds from that issue," said GBR driver Giles Scott. "It's really, really frustrating, but tomorrow's a new day - we'll come out swinging and see what the weekend's got."

The British now sit seventh overall, 11 points out of the top-three cutoff for the final.

Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of NZ Sail Grand Prix at Christchurch's picturesque Lyttelton Harbour.

Last year saw the international sailing circuit visit the South Island for the first time and many of the participants described the stopover as the best of the year.

This event was scheduled for Auckland, but unavailability of suitable venues forced organisers to return to Lyttelton, which isn't a bad back-up option.

More from Newshub

The home team were pipped by Kiwi skipper Phil Robertson and his Canadian crew in 2023, but the newly branded 'Black Foils' are determined to take honours this weekend, after back-to-back success at Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Driver Peter Burling wans't at the wheel for the last regatta at Sydney, while he was on babywatch, so he'll chase a hattrick of victories at Christchurch.

Saturday's racing will consist of three fleet races, while Sunday will see two more, plus the three-boat final.

The fleet and championship standings are:

Australia - Tom Slingsby  

New Zealand - Peter Burling

Denmark - Nicholai Sehested

Spain - Diego Botin

France - Quentin Delapierre

Great Britain - Giles Scott

United States - Taylor Canfield

Canada - Phil Robertson

Germany - Erik Heil

Switzerland - Nathan Outteridge

Join us at 3pm for the first race.

TAB Odds: Australia $2.90, New Zealand $3.25, Denmark $8, France $11, Spain $11

Canada's Kiwi skipper out to spoil homecoming party again at SailGP Christchurch

The black boat isn't the only one chasing a 'home' win at the New Zealand round of SailGP this weekend.

Last year, Kiwi Phil Robertson stole the show, when he drove his Canadian team to victory on Lyttelton Harbour.

Robertson is back in the country for the first time since the famous win and his sights set on a repeat effort this weekend, but defending his title isn't the only reason to come home.  

"It's pretty hard to compete with New Zealand coffee around the world," Robertson told Newshub. 

As it turns out, that rule applies to most beverages - including the alcoholic variety.

"I definitely like the local craft breweries and get into it... but I still love a Speights," he joked.

Come Sunday, he'll hope those beers will be celebratory. Last year, he helped Canada achieve their only event win to date, spoiling the party for local hero Peter Burling and the NZ boat.

"That was up there," he reflected. "That was massive."

Not everything about being home is bright and sunny.  

"It's cold here, but the colder air brings a denser air, so you go faster," he noted.

The ever-comical Robertson has his own way of describing windy conditions at the last event in Sydney.

"You've got to bring your brown undies and buckle up, because it's going to be a wild ride," he said.

Robertson confirms those brown undies have been included in his luggage this weekend.

"I packed my brown undies, but hopefully I won't need them, because I love the speed."

That should be music to the ears of a record 22,0000 spectators who will make this weekend the world's largest ever ticketed sailing event.  

"An event like this here in Christchurch, I'm really hoping it inspires the local kids down here to get into it, because it's a wicked sport and there's so many opportunities around the world," he said.

If Robertson can go back-to-back for Canada, there would be no better example set.

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Races are usually just 12-16 minutes long, designed to capture attention. Photo: Thomas Lovelock/SailGP

What is SailGP?

SailGP came about after the 2017 America’s Cup between Larry Ellison’s Team Oracle USA and Emirates Team New Zealand and is now in its 4th season.

During the Bermuda America’s Cup there had been much discussion about creating an America’s Cup World Series in foiling catamarans , a discussion led by Ellison and supported by most of the Challengers.

But when Emirates Team New Zealand delivered their shock win in 2017, they instead announced a return to monohulls for Cup racing (the spectacular AC75 s raced in Auckland for the America’s Cup in 2021 and set to be raced again for the next AC in Barcelona, 2024).

Ellison, boss of technology giant Oracle, and Russell Coutts, a five-times America’s Cup winner, decided to launch a brand new multi-stage global circuit in foiling catamarans: Sail GP.

The new racing circuit was announced with much fanfare and a $1m prize purse for each season.

The series rules also featured tight nationality rules – at the time tighter than for the America’s Cup itself – albeit with exemptions for countries without a strong history in the sport, to draw emerging sailing nations into the series.

Racing features teams racing under their national flag, in foiling catamarans, with all the action televised using the software created to broadcast the 2013 and 2017 America’s Cups.

Photo: Bob Martin for SailGP

Each SailGP event runs across two days and there are three races on each day, totalling six races at each event.

The opening five fleet races involve every team while the final match race pits the two highest ranking teams against each other to be crowned event champion.

The season ends with the Grand Final, which includes the Championship Final Race – a winner-takes-all match race for the $1m prize.

What boats does SailGP use?

SailGP is raced in equally matched foiling, wing sailed, 50ft catamarans, known as the SailGP F50 , which are based on the AC50 design that was used for the 2017 America’s Cup

Ellison and Coutts, sensing an opportunity to turn the AC50s into a one design class, modified many of the existing boats used by the different Cup teams, built some new hulls and rigs, and created a new, one design class.

Photo: Sam Greenfield for SailGP

Although the boats are equally matched, the intention is to upgrade the whole fleet on a continuous development cycle, so the design can remain at the forefront of the latest foiling developments without creating an expensive arms race for the latest tech.

New developments have included a modular wingsail for the F50, which will allow racing in both lighter and stronger wind ranges, with the winds able to be increased or decreased in size.

Who are the teams in SailGP?

The 10 teams, representing 10 nations that currently compete in SailGP are: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, United States

When is SailGP?

The fourth season of SailGP will begin in June 2023 and will take in 12 events across the globe  and will conclude with the Grand Finale in San Francisco in July 2024.

Chicago: 16-17 June 2023 LA: 23-24 July 2023 St. Tropez: 9-10 September 2023 Taranto: 23-24 September 2023 Andalucia: 14-15 October, 2023 United Arab Emirates: 13-14 January, 2024 Sydney: 24-25 February, 2024 Auckland: 23-24 March, 2024 Bermuda: 4-5 May, 2024 Canada: 1-2 June, 2024 New York: 22-23 June, 2024 San Francisco: 13-14 July, 2024

Ben Ainslie to step down as SailGP team skipper

• January 4, 2024

Sir Ben Ainslie has announced he is stepping down as Driver of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team. Ainslie will continue his role as CEO of Emirates GBR but will…

F1 star Sebastian Vettel backs new German SailGP team

• May 31, 2023

Four-time F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel and double Olympic sailing bronze medallist Erik Heil have joined forces, alongside team owner Thomas Riedel, to announce a brand new German SailGP Team.…

SailGP: Third win of the season for Burling’s Kiwi crew

• January 16, 2023

In a gutsy and impressive performance New Zealand defied the odds to win the Singapore SailGP. The win cements Peter Burling’s position as the main threat to Tom Slingsby’s charge…

Burling and Co finally pick up a win in SailGP

• August 1, 2022

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke alongside their kiwi crew, including new tactician, Jo Aleh have taken victory in the British SailGP regatta in Plymouth in impressive style finishing first or…

Inside SailGP: what next for sailing’s greatest show?

• July 27, 2022

‘Box office stuff’ is how Ben Ainslie described the opening day of last month’s SailGP event, in Chicago, USA. And truly, it was: the sun shone, the wind blew, the…

How to watch the Great Britain SailGP in Plymouth

• July 22, 2022

The foiling F50 catamarans will be heading to Plymouth for the Great Britain SailGP in one week’s time, from July 30-31, and there’s still time for British and visiting fans…

Australia win SailGP Chicago, but Canadians surprise

• June 20, 2022

‘A box office show’ is how Ben Ainslie described the US SailGP venue at Navy Pier Chicago, this weekend. It’s hard to imagine a better venue for Larry Ellison and…

Is fresh water or salt water faster to sail in? SailGP teams find out in Chicago

• June 18, 2022

Do you sail faster in fresh water or salt water? It’s a question you’ve probably never had to ask yourself, but it’s one the SailGP teams in Chicago this weekend…

Sail GP runs out of boats: Outteridge grounded for start of season 3

• May 15, 2022

In a bizarre symptom of the rapid growth of the SailGP circuit, one of the event’s top teams – Team Japan, skippered by Nathan Outteridge – is stuck ashore as…

Tom Slingsby signs up with American Magic for AC37

• May 3, 2022

Australian sailor Tom Slingsby has signed with the American Magic team for the 37th America’s Cup. Slingsby, who has won Olympic Gold in the Laser class, the 2013 America’s Cup…

Slingsby and Co win SailGP Season 2

• March 28, 2022

Tom Slingsby’s Australian team have won the second season of SailGP, picking up the $1m prize purse for the second season running in what was a chaotic day on the…

SailGP: $1 million purse up for grabs in San Fran

• March 22, 2022

Season 2 of SailGP is set to draw to a close this weekend as the eight competing teams, sailing their foiling F50s, line up for the SailGP Final in San…

Plymouth, Chicago and Dubai to host Sail GP 2022 during 10-event series

• December 8, 2021

Sail GP, the multi-event foiling catamaran circuit, will be expanded to 10 events for the 2022/23 season. Beginning in Bermuda in May 2022, the foiling F50 circuit has announced new…

How to watch SailGP France

• September 10, 2021

The global foiling catamaran series, SailGP returns this weekend with the nine teams taking to the water of St Tropez, France for the fifth event in the 2021 season. Having…

SailGP: Australian team takes victory in British leg

• July 19, 2021

Thousands of fans turned up on Plymouth Hoe, and hundreds of spectator boats lined the F50 racecourse in Plymouth Sound as the sold out Great Britain SailGP took place over the…

Paul Goodison on how to drive a foiling F50 in SailGP

• July 16, 2021

Paul Goodison is one of the most talented foiling sailors around – he’s a three-time International Moth World Champion and was mainsail trimmer on the American Magic AC75 in this…

SailGP: Teams prepared for British leg

The Great Britain Sail Grand Prix is here, as the eight national SailGP teams go head-to-head in Plymouth this weekend hoping to win the third event of the series’ second…

SailGP: New faces for the second regatta of the season

• June 4, 2021

Saturday 5 June will see the second regatta in this second season of SailGP. For the first time ever the event will visit Italy with racing throughout the weekend in…

Gender equality: How SailGP and others are driving female inclusion

• May 14, 2021

As part of a remix for this second full season of the foiling world-spanning race series, SailGP, each of the eight teams are to add one female athlete per team.…

SailGP: Stunning opening weekend hails return of series

• April 26, 2021

Sir Ben Ainslie’s British team took the opening victory in an action-packed SailGP in Bermuda, which saw close racing, collisions, capsizes and more as the eight foiling F50 catamarans fought…

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• March Madness
• AP Top 25 Poll
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Endangered dolphins on course prevent racing at SailGP New Zealand in Christchurch

France SailGP Team helmed by Quentin Delapierre and Jason Saunders, flight controller of France SailGP Team and Olivier Herledant, grinder of France SailGP Team in action ahead of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 22, 2024. (Felix Diemer/SailGP via AP)

Spain SailGP Team helmed by Diego Botin in action ahead of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 22, 2024. (Chloe Knott/SailGP via AP)

USA SailGP Team helmed by Taylor Canfield in action during a practice session ahead of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, March 21, 2024. (Ricardo Pinto/SailGP via AP)

Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team helmed by Giles Scott and Spain SailGP Team helmed by Diego Botin collide during a practice session ahead of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 22, 2024. (Felix Diemer/SailGP via AP)

Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team helmed by Giles Scott and Spain SailGP Team helmed by Diego Botin in close quarters ahead of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 22, 2024. (Felix Diemer/SailGP via AP)

Germany SailGP Team helmed by Erik Heil in action during a practice session ahead of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, March 21, 2024. (Ricardo Pinto/SailGP via AP)

The SailGp F50 catamaran fleet ahead of the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 22, 2024. (Felix Diemer/SailGP via AP)

• Copy Link copied

The presence of an endangered species of dolphins on the race course prevented sailing on the first day of the New Zealand leg of the SailGP series on Saturday.

The race venue on Lyttelton Harbour near Christchurch on the South Island is home to around 1,000 of the remaining 10,000 Hector’s dolphins, which are native to New Zealand.

Under the conditions of the two-day event, racing cannot take place while dolphins are on or near the course. Observers have been assigned to spot dolphins and warn organizers if they stray too close to the race area.

The SailGP website said: “Race Day 1 canceled due to prolonged mammal activity on racecourse for duration of scheduled race window.”

On Saturday, there were dolphins near the start line of the course throughout the period in which racing was due to take place. The 10 competing teams waited on the course for around 90 minutes before organizers determined there was not enough time left in the day for even one race to be completed.

Three fleet races were scheduled Saturday and two more are scheduled Sunday before the top three teams compete in the final to decide the event champion.

In a further brief statement on the event website, organizers said: “SailGP is committed to minimizing risk to the marine environment and has comprehensive protocols developed in conjunction with local authorities and experts to avoid contact with wildlife.”

Sunday’s racing is expected to go ahead as scheduled, dolphins permitting.

Lyttelton became the venue for the New Zealand leg of the series after Auckland indicated it would not be able to host the event. SailGP chief executive, New Zealand-born Russell Coutts has indicated Lyttelton will not be considered as a venue again because of what he described as “activists.”

He was referring to conservationists who have condemned the decision to allow the event to take place in the dolphin’s habitat.

“Unfortunately we won’t be here next year and possibly not ever because we need those dates to fit in with the international calendar,” Coutts said.

While there was some frustration among sailors while racing was delayed Saturday, most accepted the cause of the delay.

“We don’t want to be racing if there are mammals on the course,” New Zealand wing trimmer Blair Tuke said in a television interview. “That is not good for anyone.”

The SailGP series is in its fourth year and involves 10 national teams racing identical high-tech F50 foiling catamarans that can reach speeds of around 50 knots (57 mph).

Christchurch is the ninth round of the series. There are three regattas after Christchurch in Bermuda, Halifax and New York before the three leading teams compete in the final in San Francisco in July.

Each event involves five fleet races before a final, the winner of which is the event champion. The champion is awarded 10 points on the overall series standings, the second team nine points, third eight points, down to one point for 10th place.

Australia currently has 66 points, New Zealand 58 points, Canada 52, Spain 48 and France 45. Canada won the Lyttelton event last year ahead of host New Zealand and Australia won the last leg of the series in Sydney.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

• Hospitality
• Experiences
• MotoGP™TIMINGPASS
• MotoGP™VIDEOPASS
• Results & Standings
• Riders & Teams
• Racing Together
• More Racing
• Road to MotoGP™
• FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship
• Tickets & Hospitality

Martin makes a perfect start to Sunday ahead of Portuguese GP

• Share via Facebook
• label.share.via_x
• Share via copied URL URL copied

The Spaniard topped Warm Up ahead of Bastianini and Miller as Marc Marquez crashes out

Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) was the quickest rider in Warm Up at the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal after setting a strong 1:39.093. The 2023 runner-up was ahead of Ducati Lenovo Team’s Enea Bastianini who will start the Portuguese GP from pole position. Jack Miller rounded out the top three and was just 0.349 from the top sport - adding to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider's confidence ahead of the race. At Aprilia Racing, Maverick Viñales is hoping to repeat their success from Saturday, finishing the session in fourth, and ahead of the top Honda, Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR).

💪 @88jorgemartin tops Warm-Up! He's over three tenths clear of @Bestia23 but 1 second covers the Top 20! ⏱️ #PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/xTVEJav4j8 — MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 24, 2024

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was down in 11 th on Sunday morning but has shown there is race pace. It was also not smooth sailing for Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) who had an early end to Warm Up, falling at turn three, and crashing for the third time this weekend.

The big one is next, it is time to go racing for the Portuguese GP with lights out at 14:00 (UTC), make sure you tune in on motogp.com!

FULL RESULTS!

Any device, anytime, anywhere! MotoGP™ VideoPass brings you every second of every round in 2024

Related News

What time does the F1 Australian Grand Prix start and where can I watch the race?

Sport What time does the F1 Australian Grand Prix start and where can I watch the race?

Formula 1 is in Melbourne for the third round of this year's championship.

The Australian Grand Prix is one of the biggest sporting events annually in this country, with record crowds expected at Albert Park.

The grid is now set for Sunday's race, with fans ready to enjoy 58 laps of speed and adrenaline.

Here is what you need to know ahead of Sunday's grand prix.

Where can I watch the Australian Grand Prix?

The Australian Grand Prix is on both free-to-air and pay television, as well as online.

You can watch this year's race on:

• Foxtel, channel 506

ABC Sport will be running a live blog of the Australian Grand Prix from 2pm AEDT.

What time does the F1 race start?

• 3pm — NSW, Vic, ACT, Tas
• 2:30pm — SA
• 1:30pm — NT

How long will the race last?

All F1 races (except the Monaco Grand Prix which is slightly less) are contested over 300km, plus one lap.

The Albert park track is 5.278km in length. 

This means the race will be held over 58 laps, for a total of 306.124km.

Most races last between 80 to 100 minutes in length.

Last year's Australian Grand Prix was the longest race of the season , based on length of time from start to finish.

Max Verstappen took the chequered flag more than two-and-a-half hours after the race began.

Last year's race had three stoppages due to crashes, leading to the race going for about an hour longer than usual.

Where is the Australian Grand Prix being held?

Since 1996, the Australian Grand Prix has been held in Melbourne around Albert Park.

Albert Park is just south of the Melbourne CBD and is a stone's throw from St Kilda Beach.

The circuit makes its way around Albert Park Lake, with Port Phillip Bay and the Melbourne skyline providing a beautiful backdrop to this iconic track.

Who is on pole, and where will Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo start?

Max Verstappen will start the race on pole position after qualifying fastest in Melbourne for a second-consecutive year.

The Red Bull driver will be joined by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz on the front row of the grid.

It was a mixed result for Australian drivers in Saturday's qualifying.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri will start fifth on the grid, while Daniel Ricciardo could only manage 18th on a tough day in Albert Park.

The ABC of SPORT

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Piastri expecting 'awesome atmosphere' in melbourne as mclaren chase podiums.

Max Verstappen wins behind safety car, Oscar Piastri scores his first championship points

• Motor Sports

NASCAR COTA race 2024: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

NASCAR holds its first road-course race of the 2024 season this weekend as the series arrives at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

This marks the fourth consecutive year the Cup Series has raced at COTA, which also hosts Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix in the fall.

There have been three different winners at COTA – Chase Elliott in 2021, Ross Chastain in 2022 and Tyler Reddick in 2023 – but it has been a particularly good track for Chastain, who has finished in the top five of all three races. Elliott and Reddick have scored top-five finishes in two of three races, as has Alex Bowman, who finished second in 2022 and third last season.

Who will take the checkered flag on Sunday? Here is all the information you need to get ready for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas:

What time does the Cup race at COTA start?

The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix starts at 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. local) at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

What TV channel is the Cup race at COTA on?

Fox is broadcasting the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix and has a pre-race show beginning at 3 p.m. ET. (2 p.m. local) Fox Sports 1 (FS1) has an earlier pre-race show at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local).

Will there be a live stream of the Cup race at COTA?

The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix can be live streamed on the  FoxSports website  and on the FoxSports app.

How many laps is the Cup race at COTA?

The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix is 68 laps around the 3.41-mile road course for a total of 231.88 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 15 laps; Stage 2: 15 laps; Stage 3: 38 laps.

Who won the most recent race at COTA?

Tyler Reddick scored his first victory with 23XI Racing, winning in triple overtime on March 26, 2023 after leading 41 of 75 laps. Reddick, who retook the lead on a late restart, led the final 12 laps and held off Kyle Busch by 1.411 seconds.

What is the lineup for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at COTA?

(Car number in parentheses)

1. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet

2. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota

3. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota

4. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota

5. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet

6. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

7. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota

8. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota

9. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet

10. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota

11. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford

12. (16) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet

13. (51) Justin Haley, Ford

14. (13) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet

15. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet

16. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet

17. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet

18. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet

19. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet

20. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford

21. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

22. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota

23. (15) Kaz Grala, Ford

24. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford

25. (50) Kamui Kobayashi, Toyota

26. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford

27. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford

28. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford

29. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford

30. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet

31. (4) Josh Berry, Ford

32. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford

33. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet

34. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet

35. (22) Joey Logano, Ford

36. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford

37. (66) Timmy Hill, Ford

38. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota

39. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford