18 March 2019
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In just under 50 days, SailGP will debut on U.S. waters, expecting to break sailing’s elusive 50-knot barrier when its six supercharged F50s take flight on San Francisco Bay.
SailGP will bring the all new on-water racing spectacular to San Francisco on Saturday 4 May and Sunday 5 May, marking the second event in the championship’s 2019 inaugural racing calendar, and its first-ever grand prix in the United States.
In San Francisco, the U.S. SailGP Team – comprised of world-class sailors from across the country – will assume center stage as they take on five rival teams from Australia, China, France, Great Britain and Japan. All six teams will race in identical, supercharged 50-foot foiling catamarans at speeds that have never been seen before in sail racing.
Racing will take place just off the Marina Yacht Club Peninsula in the heart of San Francisco Bay, with the stunning Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island as a backdrop. Competing in a total of five short-format fleet races, the top two teams will face off in a match race finale to determine the event winner on Sunday afternoon.
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The U.S. SailGP Team is comprised of Rome Kirby, Taylor Canfield, Riley Gibbs, Hans Henken, Mac Agnese and Dan Morris.
“Sailing on F50s is going to be awesome in San Francisco,” said Kirby.
“We all love the city, especially for the opportunities that it presents for high-level sailing.
“With the right conditions, we should break the 50 knot mark, and that will be a major, groundbreaking moment for the sport. The natural race track that the San Francisco Bay is providing us to sail on is unreal.”
“San Francisco is a beautiful place, and holds its own iconic status in sailing. The crowds viewing the racing are going to love it, and we are going to love it too,” said Morris.
“To be able to sail in our home country, in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, and with views of the Marin headlands, is quite a special experience, and we all consider it a true privilege.”
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