SailGP: Bold vision for 2030

SailGP has revealed ambitious plans to transform the championship over the next five years, setting out a roadmap that will see the league grow with more teams, more events and a global audience unlike anything sailing has seen before.

The SailGP 2030 strategy marks the next chapter for the championship as it targets becoming one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment properties by the end of the decade.

Read the 2030 strategy HERE.

Currently featuring 13 national teams racing across 13 events, the league plans to expand both the number of teams on the start line and the number of annual events in repeat host cities by 2030, bringing even more high-speed racing to fans around the world.

SailGP CEO and co-founder Sir Russell Coutts said the league is now entering a new era after spending its first five years building the foundations of the championship.

“When Larry Ellison and I founded SailGP in 2018, our goal was to redefine the way the sport of sailing is viewed, perceived and experienced: inspiring the next generation through a first-of-its kind championship for the top professional athletes in the sport, competing on equal terms, in the world’s most iconic destinations,” he said. “Our first five years were about building strong foundations, creating an exceptional, fan-centric sporting product, testing what works and learning.

“Now we move into a different phase, one that’s defined by audience growth, consistency and scale. We have a product that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s leading sports championships in terms of its appeal as a sports and entertainment property, and the next five years are about making sure the world’s sports fans, cities and brands know it.”

Founded by Coutts and Oracle founder and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison, SailGP has grown into one of the fastest-growing global sports properties, combining cutting-edge technology, close-to-shore stadium racing and national team rivalries in iconic waterfront venues.

The league is now attracting younger audiences around the world, with the 2025 Season watched by a cumulative 215 million dedicated broadcast viewers. By 2030, SailGP is aiming to reach more than 30 million dedicated viewers per event, supported by increased awareness in established markets and expansion into new territories including China, Japan, India, Mexico and South Korea.

SailGP Managing Director Andrew Thompson said the strategy builds on the qualities that have defined the championship since day one. “SailGP 2030 builds on the principles that have defined SailGP from the outset: close-to-shore stadium racing in iconic global destinations, world-leading technology and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of sport and entertainment,” he said.

“None of our growth to date would have been possible without the belief and commitment of all of our stakeholders: our partners, teams, host cities and the athletes. This strategy is as much theirs as it is ours and together, we will drive the league and the sport’s next chapter into 2030 and beyond.”

The strategy underlines SailGP’s ambition to continue growing on and off the water, creating more opportunities for fans to experience the sport while taking the championship to new audiences across the globe.

SailGP information

Season 6 Results (after 7 of 13 events)
1. Australia, Tom Slingsby (AUS), 2-1-5-1-1-1-4, 62 points
2. Spain, Diego Botin (ESP), 12-3-3-2-2-12-1, 44
3. Great Britain, Dylan Fletcher (GBR), 1-2-2-12-4-2-11, 44
4. United States, Taylor Canfield (USA), 5-7-1-4-7-6-6, 41
5. Sweden, Nathan Outteridge (AUS), 4-5-9-3-11-5-2, 38
6. France, Quentin Delapierre (FRA), 3-4*-13-8-9-4-10, 33
7. Germany, Erik Heil (GER), 9-6-8-6-3-11-7, 27
8. Canada, Giles Scott (CAN/GBR), 6-10-11-10-6-3-8, 23
9. Italy, Phil Robertson (NZL), 7-13-4-7-8-9-9, 22
10. Denmark, Nicolai Sehested (DEN), 8-9-6-5-7-12, 22
11. Switzerland, Sébastien Schneiter (SUI), 11-12-10-11-5-8-3, 18
12. New Zealand, Peter Burling (NZL), 13-8-12-13-13-13-5, 8
13. Brazil, Martine Grael/Paul Goodison (BRA/GBR), 10-11-7-9-12-10-13, 8
* 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 which is 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