SailGP’s high speed, foiling F50 is the culmination of 10 years of development in high performance, multi-hull racing.
The F50's cutting edge technology is evident in its status as the first boat to hit 99.94 km/h during racing - and it has a top speed of over 100 km/h.
But how does the F50 fly above the water and how to teams work together to get as much speed out of the boat as possible? The F50 foils using rudders with elevators and two daggerboards for a fast and stable flight.
The boards are constructed with higher modulus carbon fiber for less resistance at high speeds.
A number of technical innovations work to reduce the onset of cavitation - which occurs when the reduction of water pressure ‘boils’ the water around the foils - creating air bubbles which increase drag and reduce lift.
Teams must therefore work together to fly as high as possible without flying too high and crashing into the water, rising speed and losing speed in SailGP’s high pressure racing.
