SAILGP: Australian boat gets on water for practice session as Western Force winger wins cross-code grind

Western Force winger Darby Lancaster is known for his sleight of foot, but his upper-body strength is now the talk of Fremantle’s SailGP. Countless hours in the weights room has paid off after the Force and Wallabies’ winger won opening bragging rights in the first “unofficial” challenge of this week’s high-speed ultra-tech 13-leg world tour sail event. Lancaster, 22, 190cm and 95kg, emerged on top in a light-hearted cross-code grinder challenge on Wednesday at Bathers Beach, the venue for this weekend’s opening round of the $19m series, the first time it has been held in Fremantle. Lancaster registered 770 watts in the 30-second challenge, with Fremantle forward Sam Sturt in second position on 716. West Coast winger Jack Hutchinson, Eagles’ AFLW defender Georgie Cleaver, Glory W-League players Isobel Dalton and Megan Wynne, Perth Scorchers paceman Matt Kelly and Wildcats Academy player Billy McRae also took part, along with SailGP grinders Kinley Fowler (Flying Roos, Australia) and Louis Sinclair (Black Foils, New Zealand), in a warm up to this weekend’s real thing. “That was tough, the last 10 seconds definitely hurt, but we got there in the end,” Lancaster said. Fremantle-raised ocean athlete Fowler said he typically turned the winch for two to three seconds every five seconds or so across each race, which can last up to 16 minutes, on their F50 foil catamarans. “It’s about short bursts of energy,” Fowler said. “People ask me what grinding is and I still don’t know how to answer. Just think of cycling, but with your arms. “On these boats we have this wingsail instead of a mainsail, and the only control that we have that’s manual, is the wing sheet, which moves the sail in and out, which basically is like the power on and off. The wing sheet goes to a winch, and I am in charge of turning the winch.” The Australian team had its first practice session on Wednesday off Bathers Beach after missing Tuesday’s first scheduled tune-up on water due to “system and electronic technical issues related to the boat’s control systems.” Racing takes place on Saturday and Sunday.