Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts X4.3

Australia's SailGP Team set sail on Sydney Harbour for the first time

by Michelle Fowler 2 Feb 2019 08:28 AEDT

The Australia SailGP Team's revolutionary new F50 set sail on Sydney Harbour for the first time today, as the two-week countdown to SailGP's inaugural event begins.

The practice session was the first opportunity for the Australia SailGP Team, skippered by Olympic gold medallist and America's cup winner Tom Slingsby, to practice on home waters, with the stage nearly set for the world-first SailGP curtain raiser on 15-16 February.

Sydney SailGP will see Australia compete against five nations, including China, France, Great Britain, Japan and the United States, before heading to San Francisco, New York City, Cowes (UK) and Marseille (France), where the champion will be crowned.

Emblazoned with a giant kangaroo, Australia flag, and green and gold paint, the Australia SailGP Team's wingsailed catamaran is the fastest and most technologically advanced class of race boat in the world, anticipated to reach speeds of up to 100kph (50+ knots).

The crew including Slingsby, wing trimmer Kyle Langford and grinders Ky Hurst and Sam Newton were able to put the F50 through its paces and get to grips with the Sydney Harbour waters for the first time.

"It's an amazing feeling to get our Australian boat on Australian water, and right here in Sydney Harbour where all the action will be happening in just two weeks' time," said Slingsby.

"These races are going to be highly competitive but I like our chances. It's hard to say who will win the league and who's going to win that first event in Sydney, but I think we've got a pretty good shot at it. Australians will get to witness it first-hand before anyone else in the world, so we're hoping that home-field advantage, and having lots of fans cheering us on, will help give us the edge over the other nations."

The six identical F50s, which have taken more than 135,000 man hours equal to 67 years to produce, were transported from Whangarei, New Zealand, to Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour in January.

Sydney SailGP will take place on 15-16 February in Sydney Harbour. Tickets for a variety of exclusive spectator experiences are still available for the world-premiere SailGP event at www.SailGP.com/Sydney

Related Articles

SailGP: Roger Federer inspires Swiss SailGP team.
Roger Federer joins forces with Switzerland SailGP Team to inspire success One of Switzerland's greatest sporting icons, Roger Federer, features in the newest episode of Racing on the Edge, SailGP's official behind-the-scenes docuseries, produced in partnership with Rolex. Posted on 27 Jun
Rolex SailGP Championship 2026 dates confirmed
Including a return to fan-favorite destination, Auckland SailGP has released further details of forthcoming 2026 Season, including the return of fan-favorite locations, multi-year hosting agreements secured across all regions, and an evolved regional structure to raise the stakes for athletes and fans alike. Posted on 26 Jun
SailGP opens tender process for two new teams
SailGP has confirmed 2026 expansion plans, unveiling details of a tender process to seek investment. SailGP has confirmed 2026 expansion plans, unveiling details of a tender process to seek investment for ownership of two new teams entering the global racing championship next season, alongside available stakes across existing national teams. Posted on 23 Jun
Russell Coutts explains SailGP's investor value
Russell Coutts explains the growth of SailGP and why investors are chasing a slice of the action. SailGP co-founder and CEO Russell Coutts discusses the hard to understand investment, and growth of SailGP. The growth multiples hoped for SailGP have been achieved, on paper, by the same investors in other sports. Posted on 12 Jun
Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix overall
Spain SailGP Team claims second consecutive U.S. win Diego Botin and the Spain SailGP team have punched their way to the top of the Rolex SailGP Championship, taking the win on Sunday in New York. Posted on 9 Jun
SailGP: Spain win in New York - Day 2
Diego Botin's Spanish crew scraped into the Final, and then took their second successive SailGP win. The Spanish crew led by Diego Botin staged a comeback in the last race after losing an 8pt lead to squeeze into the Final, only taking the lead halfway through the three boat Final. Full race replay here. Posted on 9 Jun
SailGP: Spain lead in New York - Day 1
Spain top the leaderboard after the first day of racing in the Mubadala New York Grand Prix Spain top the leaderboard after the first day of racing in the Mubadala New York Grand Prix, after a consistent day's sailing on the murky and rainswept Hudson River. Full replay and leaderboard in this story. Posted on 7 Jun
Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix day 1
Spain overcomes storm clouds, topping the standings Diego Botin's Spain SailGP Team leads the fleet after a stormy and tactical opening day of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix. France, ROCKWOOL Denmark and New Zealand are all hot on his heels for all-important leaderboard points. Posted on 7 Jun
Russell Coutts reports ahead of SailGP New York
The New York Russell Report: Coutts on fleet-wide wing repairs and top picks for New York podium SailGP has returned to New York for the third time ahead of this weekend's Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix on June 7/8. Ahead of racing, SailGP CEO Russell Coutts reveals his behind-the-scenes insight of the fleet. Posted on 7 Jun
SailGP to Kick Off Summer in New York
With this Weekend's Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix An unforgettable weekend of high-speed, close-to-shore racing and world-class entertainment will take place this weekend when the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix takes place in front of the most famous skyline in the world. Posted on 5 Jun
Rooster 2025Excess CatamaransSydney Boat Show 2025 - Apply to Exhibit