SailGP is charting a new, exciting course for the sport of sailing. In this global, annual sports championship, national teams from Australia, China, France, Great Britain, Japan and the United States battle in some of the world’s most iconic harbors, each sailing in identical supercharged F50 catamarans, the newest race boat engineered to reach electrifying speeds.
SailGP will be coming to San Francisco on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5, with races occurring in the heart of San Francisco Bay, between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.
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What’s the story behind the creation of SailGP?
Launched in 2018 and now in its inaugural season, SailGP was created to excite current sailing fans with its year-round action and introduce emerging fans to a new form of elevated high-tech, adrenaline-filled racing. SailGP takes place in iconic city waterfronts around the world in an effort to reach wide audiences and bring the action as close as possible to the fans onshore.
How is SailGP different from other sailing leagues?
Each crew will be competing on the same catamaran – the F50 – a new race boat unlike any other in the world. Powered by a 78-foot tall wingsail and outfitted with next-generation technology, the F50 flies above the water on hydrofoils and is capable of reaching speeds never before seen in on-water racing. In fact, the F50 is expected to break sailing’s elusive 50 knot barrier (approximately 60 mph) for the first time ever during San Francisco SailGP.
What will the race event in San Francisco look like?
During the San Francisco grand prix, the U.S. SailGP Team will make its stateside debut, with three races with all six boats on Saturday, May 4 and two on Sunday, May 5. Following the second fleet race on Sunday, the top two teams will face off in a match race finale to determine the overall event winner.
Racing here will push these sailors to their limits, as they are challenged by the Bay’s famous sea breezes and strong tidal flows.
How can fans get involved in the sailing action?
The San Francisco SailGP Race Village will be located at the Marina Yacht Club Peninsula and will be the race day hub, with access to big screens showing live race coverage and commentary. The Race Village is free to the public, but fans can purchase tickets at SailGP.com/SanFrancisco for front-row viewing from the SailGP Grandstand or for on-water opportunities to take in the action.
Fans who can’t make it out can also watch the races live on the SailGP APP. The APP brings fans at home closer to the action than ever before and puts them in full control, with the ability to choose the camera angles, which boat they want to follow, and the data that is featured in their feeds.