SailGP A to Z: From Australia to Zones, an alphabetical guide to the high-octane championship
The fifth season of the SailGP Championship is under way and so far there have been plenty of surprises. Four events in, there have been four different weekend winners, with Canada the most recent in Los Angeles last weekend.
Canada's victory in Los Angeles was good news for the underdogs in the 12-boat fleet as they beat favorites New Zealand and Australia to the title in the winner-takes-all race.
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This weekend, the championship moves to San Francisco, but before the high-speed, high-stakes action gets under way, consider this a guide to the terminology and names that may help the uninitiated understand what's going on out there on the water.
A recap on the season so far can be found here, while our all-encompassing guide to a sport often referred to as 'Formula One on water' answers all the key questions.
The winning team of the first three SailGP seasons and still the benchmark to which other teams aspire. While The Flying Roos have looked strong this season, there have been signs of vulnerability, such as failing to make the podium in Dubai.
Races happen on courses that have electronically defined boundaries using GPS positioning, keeping the action tight. Venturing beyond the boundary results in a penalty from the umpires.
Just as F1 engineers pass information from the pit wall to drivers on the track on race weekend, SailGP coaches communicate with their teams via headphone mics from the shore, passing on vital information, such as data and strategies, during racing.
On the water, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure enables SailGP to analyze more than 300,000 data points per second collected from 125 sensors onboard each F50, the lightweight catamarans used in competition. That's more than 48 billion data points each race day.
Germany, one of the newer teams, is led by driver Erik Heil, a two-time bronze medalist in the 49er skiff class. Packed with serious talent, the team remains a work in progress.
The finely engineered, incredibly strong titanium hydrofoils lift the F50 catamaran above the water, helping generate speeds close to 60mph (100 kilometers an hour).
The athletes who generate the hydraulic power needed to control the F50's systems. The grinders are the boat's engine room.
The steering mechanism of the F50, featuring buttons and grips, demands precise control at high speeds.
A core principle of the sport, driving advancements in sailing technology. The F50s are cutting-edge racing boats that have achieved a level of efficiency once thought unthinkable.
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A headsail used to generate power by catching more wind — the triangular sail at the front of the boat controls the F50.
The unit of measurement for boat speed. However, SailGP has opted for kilometers per hour (km/h) as the unit of measure as it's more commonly understood by a non-sailing fan.
The fourth-richest man in the world, according to Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires List, and the American who founded tech giant Oracle. A long-time sailing enthusiast, he co-founded SailGP with Russell Coutts.
Double Olympic gold medalist and the first female driver in SailGP. Sailing is in Grael's genes. Her father, Torben, is also an Olympic gold medalist, while her brother, Marco, is also on the same Brazil team.
Arguably the best sailor currently without a ride. Dropping the Australian Olympic medalist and his Japan team after Season 2 because of financial difficulties was a Game of Thrones moment that showed no one's job is safe in SailGP.
AI-enabled cameras on board, also called Foil Cams, provide viewers with immersive perspectives of the racing action.
Sailors and coaches use sophisticated tools to analyze race data and identify areas for improvement.
Sailors must react instantly to changing conditions and make split-second decisions.
The CEO and driving force behind the creation of SailGP. The 63-year-old from New Zealand is an Olympic gold medalist and four-time America's Cup winner.
A member of the team who reads the ever-changing wind, making tactical decisions either to attack or defend.
Slingsby is a dominant force in the league as Australia's driver. An Olympic gold medalist and an America's Cup winner, the Australian is one of the best in the world. He is a relentless competitor and steers a world-class crew.
A team of officials, led by chief umpire Craig Mitchell, who enforce the racing rules and impose penalties from a remote booth at SailGP HQ in London.
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The high speed of the F50 catamarans is a defining feature of the sport. In training, Canada recorded a top speed of 101.98 km/h — surpassing the league's current speed record (in racing) of 99.94 km/h, achieved by the France team in Saint-Tropez in Season 3.
The rigid, vertical sail that powers the F50s. There are three different wing sizes deployed in different wind conditions. The size of wing is decided by the race organizers and all teams must use the same ones.
The boats, the course, the winner-takes-all format — every aspect of this competition has been designed to grab attention and attract a new audience.
Don't mention the word anywhere within earshot of Coutts. He might be one of the best yacht racers of all time, but he doesn't want old-fangled words like yacht anywhere near the futuristic world of SailGP.
There is an 80-meter zone defined inside the entire course boundary. When two boats are inside that zone, the one closest to the boundary is allowed to sail the fastest route into and out of the zone.
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