# F50 (catamaran)

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Class of catamaran

F50 A line drawing of the F50 with its standard twenty-four metre wingsail. The American and Japanese SailGP F50s racing in New York Harbor at the New York Sail Grand Prix during the 2019 SailGP championship. Development Year 2019 No. built 14 Design Development, one-design Builder Core Builders Composites Name F50 Boat Crew 6, weight limit 438 kg (966 lb) Hull Type Foiling catamaran LOA 15 m (49 ft 3 in) Beam 8.8 m (28 ft 10 in) Rig Rig type Wing and jib Mast length 18 m (59 ft), 24 m (79 ft), 29 m (95 ft) Class is a member of World Sailing ← AC50 [edit on Wikidata]

The **F50** is a [one-design](/source/One-design) [foiling](/source/Hydrofoil) [catamaran](/source/Catamaran) used in the [SailGP](/source/SailGP) race series. The name is an abbreviation of "Foiling" and "a hull length of 50 feet".[1] The F50s are adapted from the [AC50s](/source/AC50) used in the [America's Cup](/source/America's_Cup), with modifications including new control systems and modular wingsails.[2]

The F50s are one of the fastest racing classes in history;[3] the current F50 speed record, achieved by [Rockwool](/source/Rockwool_International) Denmark SailGP Team at the [Germany Sail Grand Prix in Sassnitz](/source/2024%E2%80%9325_SailGP_championship#Round_8:_Sassnitz) in 2025, stands at 56.1 knots (103.93 km/h, 64.58 mph).[4]

Three AC50s from the [2017 America's Cup](/source/2017_America's_Cup) were converted to comply with the F50 one-design rule to create the new [SailGP](/source/SailGP) fleet racing circuit.[5] Three more boats were built from scratch by Core Builders Composites to create an initial fleet of six boats crewed by teams from the United States, Australia, France, China, Japan, and the United Kingdom.[6] For the [2020 SailGP championship](/source/2021-22_SailGP_championship#Sydney_Sail_Grand_Prix), the Spain SailGP team used the F50 of the China SailGP team after their departure.[7] A seventh F50 was commissioned for the Denmark SailGP team, which also joined for the 2020 SailGP championship.[8] In the fourth season the fleet grew to 10 boats, with two more expected for the fifth season.[9]

## Specifications

The F50s use a two-element [wingsail](/source/Wingsail) and [jib](/source/Jib) for propulsion. One removable section in the wing can be used to achieve mast heights of 18 m (59 ft), 24 m (79 ft) or 29 m (95 ft),[10] the largest being introduced in [Season 2](/source/2021%E2%80%9322_SailGP_championship).[11] This, as well as interchangeable daggerboards and rudders, allows for optimized performance in different wind conditions.[12] Originally equipped with 'L' Foils, the design swapped to 'T' Foils at the beginning of [2025](/source/2024%E2%80%9325_SailGP_championship).[13] In SailGP regattas, the mast height, jib and equipment are selected in competitions by the Tech Team Operations Manager, following a consultation with the Regatta Director and representatives from each team.[3]

Apart from the wingsheet, which is powered by two [grinders](/source/Grinder_(sailing_position)), all trimming is hydraulically actuated, powered by electric motors and lithium-ion batteries.[2] This includes active pitch control of all appendages, [daggerboard](/source/Daggerboard) lifting/lowering, and the jibsheet. The reduction of one grinding position on board therefore allows the F50s to sail with just five crew. The geometry of the F50's daggerboards have been extended outside the maximum beam of the boat to provide more righting moment.[3][14]

The F50s comprise a [one-design](/source/One-Design#Sailing) development class. However, unlike most one-design sail classes with fixed rules, the F50s are being constantly developed with changes implemented on all boats at the same time. This prevents technological arms races, while allowing performance improvements.[15]

## Crew

The F50s have a crew of six, consisting of a [helmsman](/source/Helmsman), wing trimmer, flight controller, two grinders and a strategist.[16] The flight controller controls the F50 using a double twist-grip device, which enables more accurate adjustment of the rake of the daggerboard. This relieves the helmsman, who previously flew the boat using twist-grips on the wheel, of flight control duties - allowing them to focus on tactics.[17] Additionally, the F50s have active control of the rudder pitch; crews are no longer required to set and lock off the rudder pitch before the start of each race, as was the case with the AC50s in the 2017 America's Cup.[5] While racing, crews stay in the windward hull.

## F50s in culture

F50s were featured in Christopher Nolan's *[Tenet](/source/Tenet)* (2020). The scene featuring them was filmed in August 2019, following the [2019 Great Britain Sail Grand Prix](/source/2019_SailGP_championship) in [Cowes](/source/Cowes). The F50s belonging to the Japan and United States SailGP teams were used, with each being rebranded and painted white and blue respectively.[18] [Rome Kirby](/source/Rome_Kirby) and [Tom Slingsby](/source/Tom_Slingsby) were two of the athletes involved in the filming of the scene.[19]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Fretter, Helen (4 October 2018). ["The $1million match race: Ellison and Coutts unveil SailGP circuit for 50ft foiling catamarans Fretter Helen"](https://www.yachtingworld.com/news/the-1million-match-race-ellison-and-coutts-unveil-sailgp-circuit-for-50ft-foiling-catamarans-116360). *Yachting World*. Future plc. Retrieved 18 November 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_2-1) ["SailGP F50: On board the sailing equivalent of a Formula 1 racecar"](https://www.yachtingworld.com/extraordinary-boats/sailgp-f50-board-sailing-equivalent-formula-1-racecar-122851). *Yachting World*. 2019-08-20. Retrieved 2021-05-30.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_3-2) ["SailGP Explained // The F50"](https://sailgp.com/general/sailgp-f50/). *SailGP*. Retrieved 2021-05-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["ROCKWOOL Racing smashes SailGP speed record; becomes fastest team in history"](https://sailgp.com/news/25/rockwool-racing-smashes-sailgp-speed-record-becomes-fatest-team-in-history). *SailGP*. 2025-08-16. Retrieved 2025-08-25.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_5-1) ["SailGP F50 v America's Cup AC50 catamarans"](https://yachtracing.life/sailgp-f50-v-americas-cup-ac50-catamarans/). *Yacht Racing Life*. 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2021-05-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** New, G. J. (16 January 2019). ["Building the New SailGP F50"](https://www.sailweb.co.uk/2019/01/16/building-the-new-sailgp-f50/). Retrieved 2021-05-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["SailGP"](https://sailgp.com/news/sailgp-lineup-to-shift-for-season-2/). *SailGP*. Retrieved 2021-05-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["SailGP announces Denmark SailGP Team presented by ROCKWOOL to join world-class lineup for Season 2"](https://sailgp.com/news/sailgp-announces-denmark-sailgp-team/). *SailGP*. Retrieved 2021-05-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Bolle, Lars. ["Profisegeln: Wird der SailGP die neue Formel 1?"](https://www.yacht.de/regattasailgp/profisegeln-wird-der-sailgp-die-neue-formel-1/). *YACHT - Alles rund ums Segeln* (in German). Retrieved 2024-02-24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["All about SailGP's new adjustable F50 wing"](https://sailgp.com/news/sailgp-new-adjustable-f50-wing/). *SailGP*. Retrieved 2021-05-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["The sport's best athletes go head-to-head as SailGP kicks off | www.pressmare.it"](https://www.pressmare.it/en/regattas/sail-gp/2021-04-24/the-sport-best-athletes-go-head-to-head-as-sailgp-kicks-off-31225). *pressmare.it*. Retrieved 2021-05-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["The Beginner's Guide to the F50"](https://sailgp.com/news/24/beginners-guide-f50-foiling-catamaran). *SailGP*. 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2025-03-23.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["'A baptism by fire:' SailGP introduces high-speed titanium 'T-Foils' fleetwide in Auckland"](https://sailgp.com/news/25/high-speed-t-foils-introduced-sailgp-fleet-auckland). *SailGP*. 2025-01-13. Retrieved 2025-03-23.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** [*The supercharged F50s*](https://sailgp.com/news/f50-supercharged), SAILGP, 2018-10-03

1. **[^](#cite_ref-armsrace_15-0)** [*F50 arms race*](https://sailgp.com/news/skills-arms-race/), SAILGP, 2019-05-01

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["World's Most Advanced Hydrofoil Boats Fly Above Water"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8eq8hoUhBE). *YouTube*. CNET. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 2023-05-19.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["Back to flight school"](https://sailgp.com/news/flight-school/). *SailGP*. Retrieved 2021-05-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["SailGP makes its Hollywood debut"](https://sailgp.com/news/sailgp-makes-its-hollywood-debut/). *SailGP*. Retrieved 2021-05-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["On the set of Tenet"](https://sailgp.com/news/on-the-set-of-tenet/). *SailGP*. Retrieved 2021-05-30.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [F50](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:F50).

v t e SailGP Founders Larry Ellison Sir Russell Coutts Yacht F50 catamaran Seasons 2019 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2026 Teams Current teams Bonds Flying Roos (2019–present) Tom Slingsby (2019–present) Jimmy Spithill (2023) 2019 champions 2021–22 champions 2022–23 champions 2023–24 runner-ups 2024–25 runner-ups 2021–22 Impact League third place Mubadala Brazil (2024–present) Martine Grael (2024–present) 2024–25 Impact League runner-ups NorthStar (2022–present) Phil Robertson (2022–2024) Giles Scott (2024–present) 2024–25 Impact League third place Rockwool Racing (2020–present) Nicolai Sehested (2020–present) Nathan Outteridge (2024) 2022–23 Impact League champions 2023–24 Impact League runner-ups DS Team France (2019–present) Billy Besson (2019–2021) Quentin Delapierre (2021–present) Germany by Deutsche Bank (2023–present) Erik Heil (2023–present) Red Bull Italy (2024–present) Ruggero Tita (2024–2025) Phil Robertson (2025–present) Emirates GBR (2019–present) Ben Ainslie (2020–2023) Paul Goodison (2021) Giles Scott (2024) Dylan Fletcher (2019, 2024–present) 2022–23 third place 2024–25 champions 2021–22 Impact League runners-up 2022–23 Impact League third place 2023–24 Impact League champions 2024–25 Impact League champions Black Foils (2021–present) Peter Burling (2021–present) Arnaud Psarofaghis (2021) Nathan Outteridge (2024) 2022–23 runner-ups 2023–24 third place 2024–25 third place 2021–22 Impact League champions 2022–23 Impact League runners-up Los Gallos (2020–present) Phil Robertson (2020–2022) Jordi Xammar (2022–2023) Diego Botin (2023–present) 2023–24 champions Switzerland (2022–present) Sébastien Schneiter (2022–present) Nathan Outteridge (2022, 2024) 2023–24 Impact League third place United States (2019–present) Rome Kirby (2019–2020) Jimmy Spithill (2021–2023) Taylor Canfield (2023–present) 2021–22 third place Artemis (2026–present) Nathan Outteridge (2026-present) Former teams China (2019) Phil Robertson (2019) Japan (2019–2022) Nathan Outteridge (2019–2022) 2019 runner-ups 2021–22 runner-ups Locations Current Abu Dhabi Auckland Cádiz Dubai Geneva Los Angeles New York City Portsmouth Rio de Janeiro Saint-Tropez San Francisco Sassnitz Sydney Former Aarhus Bermuda Chicago Christchurch Copenhagen Cowes Halifax Marseille Plymouth Singapore Taranto

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [F50 (catamaran)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F50_(catamaran)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F50_(catamaran)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.