SailGP grand final: New 27.5m wingsail to be available for Abu Dhabi regatta

As the SailGP fleet prepare for the final regatta of season five this weekend in Abu Dhabi, they do so under new circumstances.

The season finale, culminating in the top three teams competing for the US$2 million ($3.49m) grand prize, will see the latest technological update rolled out, with the new 27.5m wingsail available and likely to be used for the event.

Throughout the campaign, the league has been unveiling new components that promote fast racing. In Auckland in January, the new T-Foils were introduced, before the high-speed rudders were online in Saint-Tropez in September.

The league now has two sets of T-Foils and rudders, with high-speed and light-air options available for both.

The last component to be added is the new wingsail, which will aid in better racing in light air conditions. With this weekend’s event in Abu Dhabi, which has historically been a low-wind venue in SailGP, that new wing is likely to be put straight into use with the 29m wing – usually used in light conditions – not in the quiver this week.

It adds another element for the teams in line to contest the big-money final, with Great Britain, New Zealand’s Black Foils, Australia and Spain all in with a chance to be among the three boats to contest that race.

“It’s something that’s been in the works for a while,” SailGP analyst and commentator Lisa Darmanin said.

“The 29-metre wing is quite big for the new T-Foils, so the league has been looking at a way to create a smaller wing for the lighter winds. With the 27-and-a-half-metre, it just opens up the opportunity a little bit in terms of the range.

“The jump from the 24-metre to the 29 is quite big. Obviously, it’s tough for the teams that are racing for the grand final to master a new wing, but essentially everything is still the same in terms of touch and feel and what they have to do, it’s just managing that power and twist a little bit different.”

Spain were chosen to test the new wing ahead of the event in Cadiz last month, while the fleet had more practice time on the schedule ahead of this weekend’s races and were expected to get a feel for the new component during that time.

The 29m wing is expected to remain a part of the rotation, with season six expected to see teams have 18m, 24m, 27.5m and 29m wings available.

The inclusion of a fourth wing will give the league more room to work with as it assesses race conditions and tries to maximise the potential for quality racing.

“I love the fact that they’ve got options now. What makes it nice is like golf, having a hybrid club in your bag to give you better performance. This is just another additive,” SailGP commentator Todd Harris said.

“I know some people compare SailGP at times to Formula One, and the different tyres that they go through on different tracks ... I just think it gives them an opportunity. With having the best sailors in the world, it makes it so interesting and so much more dynamic.

“When there is light wind, it doesn’t mean they can’t go sailing. They can pop some different things on the boat and make it literally sail in hardly any wind at all. I think it’s going to be a plus.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.