6 countries gear up for this weekend's sailing completion on the Bay

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - Out on windy, choppy San Francisco Bay Tuesday, teams of sailors representing six different countries were getting ready this weekend's big races.

No, it is not the America's Cup, but a race that tech billionaire Larry Ellison is starting up called SailGP.

"It's tough. It isn't easy. It's on the edge," said Rome Kirby. He's the` skipper of the U.S. team. Before this, he raced in two America's Cups.

"These boats are the fastest in the world. The cup boats aren't nearly as fast. These are way faster and harder to sail," said Kirby.

These practice runs were tune-ups for Saturday and Sunday.

The boats are all F50 Catamarans. Unlike America's Cup yachts, each team has the exact same boat design and technology. Skill will make the difference in the races. The Chinese team for instance, almost capsized

The catamarans are fast. The racers are hoping to break 60 miles an hour. Perhaps even get them up to 65 mph.

"You will see the boats flying on these winglets. That's non-traditional sailing. It is very new technology. The sailors are at the forefront of technology," said Tom Herbert-Evans of Sail GP.

San Francisco is the second leg of this race. The first was Sydney, Australia. After San Francisco it is on to New York, the U.K. and finally France.

Ellison is hoping to turn this into an annual race.

"The goal is to go around the globe and bring more awareness. And also this fascinating spectacle that we've got," said Herbert-Evans. 

The race course sits between Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

People can watch the races this weekend from the San Francisco shoreline and it's free to the public.