The new wing setup is being trialled as a potential replacement to the league’s largest configuration wing – the 29-metre version – and its introduction comes after several mast breakages using this larger setup in the course of Season 5.
Emirates GBR skipper Dylan Fletcher-Scott told me that the new config had been introduced as a way of reducing the weight and the windage of the large rig so that it can be better paired with the F50 fleet’s new set of light wind boards and rudders, which were first used together at the SailGP Switzerland event in Geneva a fortnight ago.
“We saw one or two failures with the 29 and now there's some more righting moment from the foils and rudders so we are looking for a more balanced wing for the light winds,” he said.
“The 29 was obviously quite heavy, so the goal is to reduce the weight while still getting that little bit of extra heeling moment.
“Along with the new light airs boards and big rudders we should be able to bring the foiling range down a little bit lower."
Fletcher-Scott said he had been very impressed with the new combination of the light wind boards and rudders used on Lake Geneva in parallel with the mid-range 24-metre wing sails.
“It was incredible, to be honest, a big, big step up. But it does feel like at times you're just missing some heeling moment and you just want a slightly bigger wing. Hopefully the 27-metre wing is the answer.”
The new configuration – which is created by replacing a five metre middle section with a three metre module – was fitted to Tom Slingsby’s Australian Flying Roos F50 for today’s practice day, but it was the local Spanish heroes Diego Botin’s Los Gallos crew that put the boat through its paces on their own while the other 11 boats sailed a series of three lightish win practice races.
Although Slingsby has not sailed with the 27-metre wing yet he told me that “all reports so far were favourable”.
”I think it’s going to be a good wing,” he said. “It’s been planned a long time ago – at least a year they've been talking about doing it. One of the failures that happened was on a 29-metre wing, and they said: “OK, we think that the load case in a certain condition is higher than we'd like so we have to redesign some of the sections of the wing and make it a bit smaller.”
How today’s trial today went is not been revealed but if the new design gets greenlighted then it’s highly possible that the new wings could be ready to be used at next month’s Grand Final in Abu Dhabi – a traditionally light wind venue
