SailGP: Five things to watch in Rio

After having to cancel in 2025, SailGP lands in Brazil for its long-awaited South American debut in Rio de Janeiro on April 11-12. Here are five storylines set to define the event:

Look for the ladders, beware of the snakes
The venue of Guanabara Bay returns to the stage for the 2016 Olympic sailing events with a natural amphitheater  suited to SailGP’s close-to-shore stadium format. With Christ the Redeemer watching from above and Sugarloaf Mountain framing the skyline, the winds here are fickle. The surrounding mountainous terrain create wind shadows and unpredictable gusts that could reshuffle the competitive order and open the door for a memorable upset.

Brazil SailGP Team’s army of home fans
A decade ago, Martine Grael won Olympic gold on Guanabara Bay by the narrowest of margins, sparking celebrations on Flamengo Beach as fans waded into the surf to carry the boat ashore. Grael returns at the wheel of the home team with a fired up partisan crowd cheering from the waterfront. The pressure and the opportunity has never been greater.

Team France return – but without Leigh McMillan
France arrive in Rio with momentum, having led the fleet standings after day one in Auckland before being forced out by a collision they were exonerated of causing. Wing trimmer Leigh McMillan, who suffered a traumatic shoulder injury in that crash, will miss Rio while he recovers from surgery. Despite missing the next event in Sydney due to damage, the French team retained fourth place in the Championship standings, with Glenn Ashby on the wing in their return to the water.

Rio Olympians could give teams extra boost
Fourteen SailGP athletes won Olympic medals on Guanabara Bay in 2016, and will think they know these waters well. Martine Grael grew up sailing the bay, watching her father Torben – a five-time Olympic medalist – and two-time medal-winner uncle Lars race in the same waters. Artemis’ Nathan Outteridge and Great Britain’s Dylan Fletcher are also Rio 2016 alumni who competed there a decade ago.

Can USA do it again?
The current USA ownership group entered the league with a lot of talk but had struggled to back it up. However, their win in Sydney showed that their revamped crew can do what they say, but their success has all come in the lighter conditions. The team has yet to prove they can dominate in stronger winds, but Rio’s random winds may keep them from having to prove it.

Rio crew list: https://sailgp.com/news/26/revealed-full-crew-lists-sailgp-rio-brazil/

SailGP information – Rio details – How to watch

Season 6 Results (after 3 of 13 events)
1. Great Britain, Dylan Fletcher (GBR), 1-2-2
2. Australia, Tom Slingsby (AUS), 2-1-5
3. United States, Taylor Canfield (USA), 5-7-1
4. France, Quentin Delapierre (FRA), 3-4-13*
5. Spain, Diego Botin (ESP), 12-3-3
6. Artemis, Nathan Outteridge (AUS), 4-5-9
7. Italy, Phil Robertson (NZL), 7-13-4
8. Denmark, Nicolai Sehested (DEN), 8-9-6
9. Germany, Erik Heil (GER), 9-6-8
10. Canada, Giles Scott (CAN/GBR), 6-10-11
11. Brazil, Martine Grael (BRA), 10-11-7
12. New Zealand, Peter Burling (NZL), 13-8-12
13. Switzerland, Sébastien Schneiter (SUI), 11-12-10
* Received compensation points for Sydney due to boat damage in Event 2.

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
• Sept 5-6 – Valencia, Spain
• Sept 19-20 – Geneva, Switzerland
• Nov 21-22 – Dubai, UAE
• Nov 28-29 – Abu Dhabi, UAE
Note: 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.

F50 Configuration:
All teams use same configuration based on weather forecast. There are four wingsail sizes (18m, 24m, 27.5m, and 29m), six jib sizes, two T-foil daggerboards (high-speed and low-speed), and one set of rudders with high-speed and low-speed settings.

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.

Source: SailGP