Great Britain win at SailGP Perth

Dylan Fletcher and his Great Britain team didn’t miss a beat as they won the opening event of the 2026 SailGP season on January 17-18 in Perth, Australia. A strong day two got them in the Finals against Australia and France, and the defending champions led from the start for an easy win. Here are some notables from the event:

• As teams practiced in the Perth waves, the Spanish broke a foil and hull, and Australian wing trimmer Iain Jensen injured his knee, keeping both on the sidelines. Glenn Ashby joined his Aussie mates the day before racing to fill-in.

• On the first race, the Swiss gybed to starboard near the leeward mark, catching the Kiwis unprepared. The resultant collision took both out for the day, with the Swiss bow repaired for day two. New Zealand will need to repair their stern in time for the next event in Auckland.

• Moderate waves and mid-teen winds on day one were not too much for either the new Swedish team, or USA which had typically struggled in those conditions, with both joining France in a three-way tie for first. However, more wind and bigger seastate on day two had both slide down the standings.

For Perth complete crew list, click here.

SailGP information – Perth details – How to watch

Perth Results*
1. Great Britain, Dylan Fletcher (GBR), 5-3-7-5-1-1-4-(1)
2. Australia, Tom Slingsby (AUS), 1-8-9-2-3-3-3-(2)
3. France, Quentin Delapierre (FRA), 2-1-2-8-5-2-2-(3)
4. Artemis, Nathan Outteridge (AUS), 9-2-1-1-6-4-11
5. United States, Taylor Canfield (USA), 3-4-3-3-9-8-9
6. Canada, Giles Scott (CAN/GBR), 4-9-4-10-7-6-1
7. Italy, Phil Robertson (NZL), 7-5-10-6-2-7-5
8. Denmark, Nicolai Sehested (DEN), 6-10-6-7-4-10-6
9. Germany, Erik Heil (GER), 10-7-5-9-8-9-8
10. Brazil, Martine Grael (BRA), 8-6-8-4-11-11-10
11. Switzerland, Sébastien Schneiter (SUI), 11-11-11-11-10-5-7
12. Spain, Diego Botin (ESP), 11-11-11-11-12-12-12
13. New Zealand, Peter Burling (NZL), 11-11-11-11-12-12-12
* Qualifying fleet races: 4 races on day one, 3 on day two

Season 6 – 2026 Schedule:
• Jan 17-18 – Perth, Australia
• Feb 14-15 – Auckland, New Zealand
• Feb 28-March 1 – Sydney, Australia
• Apr 11-12  – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• May 9-10 – Hamilton, Bermuda
• May 30-31 – New York, USA
• June 20-21 – Halifax, Canada
• July 25-26- Portsmouth, GBR
• August 22-23 – Sassnitz, Germany
• Sep / Oct – Spain (TBC)
• Sept 19-20 – Geneva, Switzerland*
• Nov 21-22 – Dubai, UAE
• Nov 28-29 – Abu Dhabi, UAE
* The 11th event was moved to Geneva from Saint-Tropez, France.

Season 6 format:
• Thirteen teams compete in identical F50 catamarans.
• Each event is two days.
• All teams compete in up to seven qualifying fleet races of approximately 15 minutes.
• The top three teams from qualifying advance to a final race for the event title.
• The season ends with the Grand Final event which includes the Championship Final Race for the top three teams in the season standing.
• All teams are privately owned except for New Zealand and Spain which are owned by the league.

Season 6 prize money:
A total of USD $12.8 million is up for grabs in 2026. The winner of each of the 13 events takes home $400,000, with $260,000 for second and $140,000 for third. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins $400,000, while the team that wins the Championship Final Race wins USD $2 million.

Established in 2018, SailGP seeks to be an annual, global sports league featuring fan-centric inshore racing among national teams in some of the iconic harbors around the globe.