Perth Sail Grand Prix Data Dive: What The Numbers Reveal
What do the numbers from the Perth Grand Prix tell us?
Published 01/21/2026
The Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix provided a thrilling and keenly contested opening event of the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship.
Eventual winners Emirates GBR threw down the gauntlet after winning the Season 5 Grand Final, while new team Artemis finished a place ahead of the U.S. SailGP Team in P4.
But what does the data tell us about the key storylines in Fremantle? Welcome to the Data Dive…
1. France start as they mean to go on
So often it’s Tom Slingsby and the BONDS Flying Roos whose starting strategy puts them in control. But on Day 1 in Perth, it was DS Automobiles France and Quentin Delapierre that shone.
The French boat was strategically positioned near the back of the start box each time, making a late dart for the line having built up speed clear of the other F50s.
That decision paid off and the French had by some distance the highest average boat speed at the start line (65.1 km/hr). Nathan Outteridge’s Artemis had the next-highest speed at 57.5 km/hr.
As a result, Les Bleus took just 1.2 seconds to cross the start line after the start time. Only ROCKWOOL Denmark and Nicolai Sehested - another strong starter - could better that with 1.1 seconds.
All of that contributed to a mean position of 2.5 at Mark 1, giving France the platform to go on and record finishes of 2-1-2-8 on Day 1.
2. Brits battle back to claim the win
Australia has not been a happy hunting ground for British sporting hopes this winter, with England’s cricketers soundly beaten in the Ashes. However, Emirates GBR restored some national pride with their performance on the water.
After a tough first day, Dylan Fletcher’s crew delivered on Day 2 by going 1-1-4 to reach - and ultimately win - Sunday’s Final.
Emirates GBR continued their fine form from 2025 in Perth
Impressively, they did so despite an average position of 5.5 at Mark 1, while also being the third-best starters at an average of 4 seconds to cross the line.
Nobody sailed fewer meters per race on average than the Brits (10,256m), though, and they were the team to complete the most overtakes (15) of anyone on Day 2.Â
3. U.S. SailGP Team finds formula for big breeze
In commentary during Day 1, Stevie Morison said the U.S. SailGP Team’s success had been in executing the basics really well as they went 3-4-3-3 to tie for the overnight lead.
The data certainly supports his theory, with Taylor Canfield’s crew finding themselves near the top of a number of key metrics.
No one recorded a higher speed than the U.S. with 84.6 km/hr, while Hans Henken was named Flight Controller of the Day for delivering a 98% fly time throughout four fleet races. A ride height of 1.56m was the fleet’s second highest.
Starting was another area of strength for the Crew, with an average position of 4.5 at Mark 1 ranking second best on the day. A mean distance of 19m to the start line was also the third best as they defended from the front.
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