By Alexander Smith
LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Wild racing looks to be on the cards for the 13 SailGP teams taking to the waters off Perth, Australia this weekend, with the strong sea breeze known as the 'Fremantle
Doctor' promising a lively first event for the high-octane league's 2026 season.
Sweden's Artemis, led by Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy and helmed by America's Cup winner Nathan Outteridge, will be looking to make their mark as newcomers on the race course in Perth, which is also making its debut as a SailGP venue.
"SailGP doesn't give you long to find your feet, so we are focused on being sharp from the very first race and continuing to build on that momentum," said Outteridge.
SailGP is raced by national teams in identical 50-foot F50 foiling catamarans, which are powered by towering "wing" sails, with high-tech foils lifting the hulls above the water and reaching speeds nearing 100 kph.
Russell Coutts, SailGP CEO and co-founder, said crew changes since last year would "mix things up" this season, which has 13 events around the globe on the calendar, and he expected a strong start from the new Swedish team.
"With eight different teams winning events last season, it's already extremely competitive ... I'd expect them (Artemis) to be fighting for podiums straight away given the talent they've assembled," Coutts said in a statement.
'TARGET ON OUR BACKS'
Britain's Emirates GBR, who are led by Ben Ainslie and helmed by Dylan Fletcher, will be looking to replicate their winning formula from last season, when consistency was key in the run-up to their Abu Dhabi grand final victory.
"We know we've got a target on our backs ... This season we have welcomed Stu Bithell on-board, so it's great to be reunited with my Olympic partner for the first time since we won gold together at the Tokyo 2020 Games," said Fletcher.
Sailors are expecting adrenaline-filled racing after practising this week off Perth, where the south-westerly 'Fremantle Doctor' wind has stretched them to their limits with gusts of up to 40 kph and large waves.
Spain's Los Gallos crashed in training and while no sailors were injured, their F50 sustained major damage, putting their participation in the weekend's racing in doubt. Meanwhile, Artemis wing trimmer Chris Draper was taken to hospital after suffering facial injuries in a crash during practice.
"Unfortunately we had damage around both board cases during a gybe in the second practice race," said Los Gallos driver Diego Botin, adding: "We need to see the assessment from the Tech Team of what they can do to see if we can race this weekend or not."
"Racing these boats again in such good conditions was super fun and we're also feeling super strong around the course so it's quite a big disappointment for us, but we'll see how it develops," added Botin, whose team triumphed in season four.
(Reporting by Alexander Smith; Editing by Toby Davis)
