#Of course Aroha would donate parts to her sorta-siblings

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

An 11-boat national fleet of F50s will be on the start line of next season’s opener in Dubai this November – but the fate of three teams remain unknown.

The confirmed F50 line-up includes two new national teams, including Brazil, which was announced earlier this year. Meanwhile, conversations around an Italian team spearheaded by former USA SailGP helm Jimmy Spithill are ongoing.

So far, a total of nine teams are confirmed on the start line of next season. These include new teams Brazil and Italy (pending the final sale), alongside existing teams from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, and USA.

With only two F50s available for New Zealand, France, and Spain, SailGP is now fast tracking the development of a 12th catamaran after acquiring an AC50 previously used by Team New Zealand in the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda.

Elements of this boat are currently being utilized in the construction of ‘boat 12’ with works at SailGP Technologies in Southampton, UK, and in New Zealand. This F50 will not be finished in time for Dubai, which means a 12th team will have to miss the season opener.

This team will be awarded compensatory points for this event before joining the rest of the fleet on the start line of Auckland in January 2025.

It looks like they may be closer to solving the “12 teams and 11 spots” problem with a parts donation from (presumably) Aotearoa New Zealand, the 2017 winner last seen on display in Viaduct Harbour during the 2021 Cup. Hopefully enough of Aotearoa is still intact to keep her on display— she’s historic now!