With the season half-run and every point counting, SailGP touches down on the Solent this weekend for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix. The eighth stop of the 2026 Season, the event opens a European stretch that will decide who lines up for the winner-takes-all Grand Final in Abu Dhabi this November.
Thirteen international teams will race meters from shore in identical F50 foiling catamarans at speeds in excess of 100 km/h – with up to 20,000 ticketed fans packed onto Southsea Common across the weekend.
The Bonds Flying Roos arrive with an 18-point lead after a fourth in Halifax that snapped their back-to-back winning streak. Most recent event winners Los Gallos are closing in behind them. But eyes will be on defending Rolex SailGP Champions Emirates Great Britain, currently third and looking to give a home crowd on Southsea Common something to shout about.
Group Racing in Portsmouth – and Beyond
With the fleet now at a record 13 teams — and more joining in coming seasons — SailGP has adopted group racing to preserve close, high-quality competition on tight courses. The fleet is split into two heats that race separately before points combine. Portsmouth's compact Solent course will run the format again, and the intention is to carry it through the remainder of the 2026 Season.
Group A: Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Italy, Denmark, Brazil
Group B: Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Germany, France, Great Britain
Racing gets underway at 4:30 p.m. BST. Fans can follow all the action from the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth, across major broadcast territories, including on TNT Sports in the UK. The event will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 (Saturday) and 3 (Sunday). Find out more at SailGP.com or check local listings.
No comments:
Post a Comment