Australia will look to bounce back from a last-start loss to Japan when the SailGP team makes its debut in European waters at Cowes, England.
The Australians are set to face off against four other national squads – China, France, Great Britain and the USA – during the fourth SailGP event on Sunday 11 and Monday 12 August (AEST).
Established in 2018, SailGP is an annual, global sports championship that features bold, cutting-edge technology and awe-inspiring athleticism.
Each national team competes in identical supercharged F50 catamarans, which can reach speeds of up to 50 knots, or 100 kilometres, an hour.
Australia is represented by the likes of skipper Tom Slingsby; the country’s most successful Ironman, Ky Hurst; and Lake Macquarie sailor and America’s Cup winner, Kyle Langford.
After two impressive wins at the Sydney and San Francisco events, Langford says the Australians are seeking redemption for the defeat in New York.
Only one-point separates first-placed Australia from the Japanese in second.
“In New York, the Japanese just outsailed us,” Langford says.
“It was a good wake-up call that we’ve got plenty to do to win the series.
“We were pretty disappointed with the loss and there was a lot of debriefing to see what we can do better.”
Langford believes the squad has gained valuable knowledge on how to sail the F50 catamarans, which are known as the fastest boats in the world, after the first three races.
A huge crash at San Francisco saw teammate Hurst suffer a broken nose and cracked rib, but the Australians still managed to win the event.
“These boats need to be respected and it can be hard to remember that in the heat of the moment,” Langford says.
“Ultimately, if you get it wrong, it will result in injury or even a fatality.
“We made a boat-handling error in San Francisco, which created a lot of downforce and a mountain of water came up and hit Ky.
“He just shook it off and carried on – they couldn’t get him off the boat.”
Victory for the Australians will guarantee their spot in the $1 million winner-takes-all final match race in September at Marseille.
Visit sailgp.com for more information.
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