Faster Boats – When Things Go Wrong, They Go Wrong Faster
Watching SailGP is a bit like watching Formula 1 on water. The boats – F50 foiling catamarans – lift clear of the surface and hurtle along at motorway speeds. It’s thrilling, dramatic… and unforgiving.
Recently, the New Zealand SailGP Team collided with the France SailGP Team during racing. No one sets out to crash. These are elite sailors with razor-sharp reactions. But when you are travelling at over 40 knots (about 80km/h) on hydrofoils, small misjudgements become very large, very quickly.
And that’s the lesson for all of us – especially those of us pottering around on the River Thames in much more sedate craft.
Why Faster Means Less Forgiving
On a traditional river dinghy, if you misjudge a tack you might lose a boat length.
On an F50, a misjudgement can mean:
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Closing speeds of 70+ knots between two boats
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Foils acting like underwater wings and knives
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Massive loads in carbon fibre structures
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Split-second decisions under pressure
Physics doesn’t care how experienced you are.
Kinetic energy increases with the square of velocity.
Double the speed?
Four times the energy.
That’s GCSE Physics alive and well on the racecourse.
The Human Factor
Even at the top level:
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Wind shifts happen.
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Boundaries approach quickly.
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Other boats make aggressive moves.
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Communication must be instant and precise.
In high-performance sailing, there is almost no “pause and think” time. It’s instinct, teamwork and trust.
As someone learning and racing at the Upper Thames Sailing Club – and now restoring Vanessa, our B-Rater – I’m acutely aware that speed changes everything. Even stepping up from a training dinghy to something more powerful sharpens the consequences of poor timing.
What Club Sailors Can Learn
We may not be foiling at 50 knots, but the principles scale down perfectly:
1. Leave Space
Room at the mark matters. On a river, that might mean avoiding a crunch into the bank or another club boat.
2. Plan Ahead
AME – Approach, Manoeuvre, Escape.
Have an exit before you need one.
3. Communicate Clearly
A calm “Starboard!” early is better than a panicked shout late.
4. Respect Speed
Even a modest gust can double your apparent pace in a dinghy.
Things go wrong faster than you expect.
The Bigger Picture
One of the fascinating tensions in modern sailing is this:
We want boats that are:
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Faster
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Lighter
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More exciting
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More spectacular
But increased performance narrows margins.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t innovate. Quite the opposite. It means training, safety systems, and decision-making need to evolve just as quickly.
Final Thought
Watching SailGP reminds me why I love sailing at any level. Whether it’s a foiling F50 or a river handicap race at Bourne End, the same physics apply.
Speed magnifies everything:
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Skill
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Mistakes
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Thrill
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Consequences
And perhaps that’s the real beauty of the sport.
When things go right, they go right spectacularly.
When things go wrong… they go wrong faster.
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