F50 (catamaran)

The F50 is a one-design foiling catamaran used in the SailGP race series. The name is an abbreviation of "Foiling" and "a hull length of 50 feet". The F50s are adapted from the AC50s used in the America's Cup, with modifications including new control systems and modular wingsails. The F50s are one of the fastest racing classes in history; the current F50 speed record, achieved by DS Automobiles France at the Germany Sail Grand Prix in Sassnitz in 2026, stands at 58.11 knots (107.63 km/h, 66.88 mph). Three AC50s from the 2017 America's Cup were converted to comply with the F50 one-design rule to create the new SailGP fleet racing circuit. 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. For the 2020 SailGP championship, the Spain SailGP team used the F50 of the China SailGP team after their departure. A seventh F50 was commissioned for the Denmark SailGP team, which also joined for the 2020 SailGP championship. In the fourth season the fleet grew to 10 boats, with two more expected for the fifth season.