Picture this: a sailing boat that lifts off the water and zips along at over 100 km/h. No, it’s not a Bond villain’s toy. It’s the F50 catamaran, and this November Abu Dhabi will be the place where twelve of these aerodynamic beasts settle a season-long score — with US $2 million and the Rolex SailGP 2025 Season Championship waiting for whoever gets it right in one final, glorious sprint.
If you’re brand-new to SailGP (or you think “foils” are what we call extra pockets), pull up a chair. I’ll give you the lowdown in plain human terms — with the occasional gasp and a tiny bit of awe.
Not a boat. A flying boat.
The F50 is technically a 15-metre catamaran — twin hulls, two pontoons, lots of attitude. But calling it a “boat” is like calling a sports car “a chair with wheels.” It’s the result of a decade of hyper-focused engineering, evolved straight from the AC50 that shook the 2017 America’s Cup. The designers took that DNA and said: “Make it faster. Make it flatter. Make it fly.”
How does it “fly”? With hydrofoils — carbon-fiber wings bolted under the hulls. As the F50 builds speed, those foils generate lift and the whole catamaran rises out of the water. Less hull touching water = way less drag = much, much more speed. Magic? Science. Both.
The wing is the thing
Forget floppy canvas sails. The F50 uses a rigid wingsail — basically a vertical airplane wing that catches wind with surgical precision. Teams can swap wing sizes depending on the mood of Mother Nature: 18m for heavy winds, 24m for “I’ll handle this,” and a towering 29m for delicate breezes. Mix those with configurable daggerboards and rudders, and the boat is essentially a Swiss Army Knife of speed.
And speed is not just bragging rights. ROCKWOOL Racing set the bar at 103.93 km/h during the Germany Sail Grand Prix in August — a number that will make anyone who grew up on land stare, slightly jealous.
Six people, one heartbeat
Operating an F50 is like conducting a tiny orchestra that’s trying not to explode. In top conditions there are six athletes on board, each with a very specific job:
- Driver — steers and keeps the line.
- Strategist — reads wind, water, and other boats (psychic vibes optional).
- Wing trimmer — tweaks the wing to squeeze out speed.
- Flight controller — manages the foils so the boat stays airborne and not upside-down.
- Two grinders — human engines who crank the winches; if you’ve ever wondered where that raw power comes from, it comes from these two.
One wrong call, one mis-timed push, and you go from elegant flight to spectacular and noisy splash. It’s high-wire performance — on water, with more carbon fiber and fewer safety nets.
Why Abu Dhabi is the place to be
From 29–30 November, Mina Zayed will host the Sail Grand Prix Grand Final — the finale after twelve events across four continents. All twelve nations will race across two blockbuster days, but here’s the bit that will make your heart do weird little athletic things: only the top three teams in the season standings get to face off in a winner-takes-all Grand Final.
Right now (and yes, this season’s drama matters), Emirates GBR arrives at Mina Zayed leading the pack after a comeback win in Cádiz — their third of the season — but they’re only three points ahead of the Black Foils, with the BONDS Flying Roos a mere five points back in third. Translation: the leaderboard is tight, the tension is taut, and one race will decide everything.
It’s not just a race. It’s spectacle.
Expect the F50s to look like silver cheetahs streaking across the Arabian Gulf, crews making split-second tactical decisions, and crowds (or livestream viewers) collectively holding their breath. It’s speed, showmanship, and raw athleticism smeared across turquoise water. Whether you’re a dyed-in-the-wool sailor or someone who only knows the difference between a dinghy and a yacht from TV, this thing is built to wow.
Final word
If you want the best view, the best drama, and the best chance to say “I saw that” later at parties, mark 29–30 November in bold. Whether you cheer for Emirates GBR, the Black Foils, the Flying Roos, or just the sheer audacity of human beings making boats fly, this is the kind of sporting event that sticks with you.
