Sailing - Super Foiler - Kleenmaid
After months of speculation Olympian Olivia Price has been officially unveiled as the skipper of the Kleenmaid SuperFoiler, the first machine of her kind to be spied on Australian waters.
The London silver medallist admits she was hesitant about taking on the responsibility of racing in the Australian series against a field which boasts America’s Cup winners, fellow Olympians and World Champions filled after a global recruitment drive for the series.
“Competing against the best athletes of any gender in the sport – people I have looked up to is daunting,” said Price, “Although I am not intimidated by the challenge and I know the crew I have assembled can win races and upset a few of the big names.”
The 25-year old will be joined by compatriots and world champions Josh McKnight and Harry Morton on the Kleenmaid SuperFoiler for the summer Grand Prix circuit which kicks off across Australia from February 2018.
“At Kleenmaid we are thrilled to be associated with this exciting new concept which I am sure will enthral the Australian public. The skill of the teams is in harnessing the power of the SuperFoiler – it is exhilarating to watch,’ said Kleenmaid CEO Danny Hamilton, who is right behind Price’s campaign for the Ben Lexcen Trophy.
After completing her first outing on Sydney Harbour, the Kleenmaid skipper was honest about the challenges her crew will encounter controlling a machine capable of roaring beyond 80 kilometres an hour, “It is frighteningly fast, but I have every confidence we will be able to master her quickly and perform lightening manoeuvres. The safety systems are state of the art so that takes some of the stress out of it. We are right to fly this series,” said Price.
SuperFoiler COO Jack Macartney believes Olivia is a benchmark for the series - “I think this machine will have a distinct advantage. The Kleenmaid SuperFoiler weighs less than the front row of the Wallabies. With Olivia driving she will bring a finesse that will surprise many. I’m sure she will score some great results.”
Olivia’s Kleenmaid SuperFoiler will be joined on the Grand Prix circuit and on Sydney Harbour for training during December and January by five other SuperFoiler machines – all vying for glory and the storied Ben Lexcen Trophy - which will be presented to the boat with the highest cumulative total after the five regattas.
