SailGP launches new rudders and unveils further innovations ahead of Saint-Tropez event

by SailGP 10 Sep 07:08 PDT

SailGP has today announced significant steps forward in technological innovation and fleet capability, with the launch of new rudders and plans for automated foil-protection software specifically for high speed, highly-loaded maneuvers. Announced ahead of this weekend's ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix, the developments underscore the league's ongoing commitment to world-leading performance engineering and safety.

Following an extensive cycle of testing and development which began in January 2024, the league's new rudders (high-speed and light-air) will be rolled out across all 12 national teams in Saint-Tropez. Thinner with a longer cord length and more efficient elevators, the new rudders are designed to provide greater control at high speed and better foiling performance at low speeds.

New high-speed rudders will also raise the threshold for cavitation - aiding control and reducing the risk of breakage. Cavitation - which makes the boat more difficult to control with highly variable forces - will now begin to occur when the F50 is moving in excess of 106 km/h (66mph) - a significant increase from the previous onset speed of 83 km/h (51mph) on the first-edition rudders.

SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said, "In a championship where teams are consistently pushing the boundaries - competing against each other - every improvement must balance performance with safety and precision. These latest innovations are part of SailGP's broader vision to redefine sailing through technological excellence, athletic drama, speed and performance at the highest levels."

Accelerated for final testing in Saint-Tropez, newly-developed software is also set to provide an extra layer of protection for crews when managing extreme loads experienced during high-speed maneuvers. The software will identify when the F50 is sailing in a high-speed, highly-loaded moment, and automatically put an increased positive angle of attack (rake) into the daggerboard (foil) to mitigate the risk of over-loading the boat.

Coutts continued, said, "Once fully operational, the new software will be a meaningful step toward safeguarding the fleet in the most demanding scenarios. While nothing replaces expert handling, this change will mitigate some risk of overloading the boat, and provide an extra layer of protection for crews and equipment."

SailGP's in-house technology team consists of more than 100 people including designers, engineers, analysts, boat builders and various specialists. The global racing championship officially opened SailGP Technologies earlier this year - based in Southampton, UK, the US $10 million state-of-the-art facility powers the league's ongoing design and development, alongside the maintenance and construction of SailGP's growing F50 fleet.

Today's news follows the successful completion of significant repairs for the U.S. SailGP Team and Mubadala Brazil after major damages at last month's event in Sassnitz. Both teams' F50s have been dispatched from SailGP Technologies following a rapid-turnaround refit and comprehensive structural testing and system upgrades for Brazil, and the construction of a newly fabricated port hull section (bow to stern) for the U.S. Both boats are on-site in Saint-Tropez where final on-land and on-water testing will be completed before this weekend's racing.

The ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix begins this weekend, with live racing on Friday September 12 and Saturday September 13. The following weekend, SailGP will set sail on Lake Geneva for the very first time. The Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix will unfold over two action-packed days of racing, September 20-21, 2025.