SailGP’s Tom Slingsby out to foil rivals in Sydney
It’s an occupational hazard but a well known fact sailors generally hate getting wet. So how is Aussie skipper Tom Slingsby planning to stay dry during the SailGP Sydney event? GREAT PICS
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For most of Tom Slingsby’s life you add water and success has followed.
Now the multiple world champion, Olympian and America’s Cup sailor from the NSW Central Coast has a new objective - to stay as dry as possible on one of the wettest and wildest rides around.
Slingsby’s goal during the SailGP event on Sydney Harbour on Friday and Saturday is to do as many dry laps - where the Team Australia F50 is up on foils continuously without the hull of the extreme machine touching the water - as possible.
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“Boat handling has gone to a new level,” Slingsby said ahead of the opening event of the 2020 series.
“People are doing dry laps now with a full legs of foiling tacks and gybes.
“We can do it, where you are on foils the whole time and the boat doesn’t touch the water.”
The less drag the faster the F50 will go with Slingsby and his crew determined to defend both the Sydney SailGP and the overall title they won last year.
“There is pressure for sure, there is a lot of pressure,” he said.
“We are the defending champions and it’s a home event and we want to win. It’s important for us.”
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Slingsby, who steered Team Australia to speeds in excess of 50 knots last season, said he and his crew need to lift their performance in the second year of the series now boasting seven national teams.
“We are not sailing anywhere near the potential we know we can. We know we can be better,’’ said London Olympic Laser gold medallist Slingsby.
“We are not sailing anywhere near out potential. We know we can get better.
“Last season I think we sailed the boat at 60 per cent of our potential. Now we are up to 70 per cent.
“Every day we go out we are learning and its exciting.’’
The Sydney event is raced over two days with five fleet races leading to a final match race between the two leaders.
Points are accumulated at each event throughout the season, culminating with a US $1m winner-takes-all championship race at the Grand Final.
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