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Sailing News for February 18, 2026

SailGP’s high-speed world keeps tightening as Doyle Sails locks in a five-year extension through 2030, reinforcing just how much precision and data sit behind every F50 jib, while the league faces tough questions after another heavy collision forces a closer look at congestion, new T-foils and the balance between spectacle and safety. Beyond the racecourse, practical boat ownership gets a reality check with hard-earned advice on descaling heads before they turn into concrete, and wind propulsion makes a serious commercial comeback as Neoliner Origin proves the once-mocked AeroRig concept can slash fuel use on transatlantic cargo runs. Foiling ambition hits another level with the launch of Gitana 18, a 32-metre data-driven trimaran built to fly at scale, and the day wraps with a fired-up U.S. SailGP Team celebrating a breakthrough race win in Auckland while making it clear that one bullet is nice, but consistency is the real target.

Sail GP/America’s Cup

Part of the Team (6 min read)
Doyle Sails just locked in a fresh five-year deal with SailGP, taking their run through to 2030 and cementing their spot behind every F50 jib on the grid. It’s not just about stitching sails either. They’re deep in the aero modelling, wing analysis and load data, making sure 20,000 fans get a race instead of a gear failure. Coke might not clean your pipes, but Doyle’s tolerances are down to millimetres. In a one-design fleet where everyone shares data, there’s nowhere to hide and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

SailGP faces the reality of being F1 on the water. Statement to come from SailGP (6 min read)
After two heavy collisions in as many events, SailGP is staring down the hard truth of high-speed foiling at 50 knots. Auckland’s NZL–FRA crash put safety systems to the test, and by all accounts they worked, but big questions remain about congestion, spin-outs in squalls and those new T-foils at the top end. Split fleets are back on the table. So are repair races against the clock before Sydney. F1 on water looks spectacular. It also bites.

Tech & Gear

Solutions to descale pipes on your boat (8 min read)
If your heads are getting harder to pump, it’s probably not you, it’s five years of rock-hard uric scale quietly choking the pipes. Richard Hare went full lab coat and tested vinegar, Coca-Cola and LeeScale on cockleshells and real pipe gunk. Spoiler: Coke is useless, vinegar is cheap and surprisingly solid, and LeeScale at 20% is the heavy hitter. For stubborn “dry” scale, caustic soda works, but only on parts you’ve removed. Moral of the story? Dose annually or prepare for gloves and regret.

The commercial ship which uses 80% less fuel and proves the AeroRig’s worth (7 min read)
Remember the oddball AeroRig from that 90s cruiser nobody wanted to call pretty? It’s back, and now it’s hauling half a million bottles of cognac across the Atlantic. The 136m Neoliner Origin is a full-blown sailing cargo ship with twin rotating rigs, daggerboards and a claimed 80 to 90% fuel saving. Built to sail first and motor second, it’s already crossed the Atlantic twice. Turns out the weird yacht rig might have been 30 years early, not wrong.

Foiling

Gitana 18 – Maxi Edmond de Rothschild launched (5 min read)
After 26 months in stealth mode, the 32m flying machine Gitana 18 is finally in the water in Lorient. The new Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is built to go from hybrid flight to fully airborne, with wild Y-shaped foils, a pivoting central daggerboard and 500 sensors feeding the data nerds. Charles Caudrelier says the real discovery starts now as sea trials begin. Route du Rhum is the target. Subtle? Not even slightly. Fast? That’s the plan.

Sailing Highlight of the Day

The U.S. SailGP Team finally snagged a race win in Auckland, and Mike Buckley isn’t letting anyone forget it. In 50 to 60 kph chaos, the crew nailed the start, controlled the fleet and led at Mark One for their first-ever race victory as a group. But he’s clear: one good race isn’t the goal, consistency is. Celebrate tonight, dig into the data tomorrow, and show up in Sydney ready to fire from the first gun.