5 Things You Need To Know About The Auckland Sail Grand Prix
Get the lowdown ahead of the second event of the 2026 SailGP Season
Published 02/10/2026
If you’ve still not got your Valentine’s weekend plans sorted then worry not - the ITM Auckland Sail Grand Prix is the date you need.
The SailGP fleet arrives in New Zealand for the second event of the 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship this weekend, with Emirates GBR looking to build on their win last time out in Perth.
Ahead of what promises to be an action-packed weekend, here’s everything you need to know…
1. We should see 13 boats on the course for the first time
Issues in practice meant 2024 Champions Los Gallos were unable to compete at last month’s season opener in Perth. The fleet was further cut when New Zealand Black Foils and Switzerland collided in Race 1, with the Kiwis suffering damage to their left-side hull, prematurely ending their weekend.
But tireless work by SailGP Technologies - working on the biggest in-season repair in SailGP history - means Peter Burling’s crew will rejoin the fleet in Auckland this weekend. So for the first time, we should have 13 F50s in the start box.
Will we see a full fleet for the Auckland Sail Grand Prix
Speaking after Perth, U.S. SailGP Team strategist Andrew Campbell said of the expanded fleet: “It increases the need for awareness and traffic management. Sometimes you’re just trying to stay clean rather than do what’s theoretically best on the racetrack.
“That’s why it’s so important to have six people on board. Shorthanded sailing with that many boats is complicated. The league is in an interesting place - the racecourses are getting smaller and the fleet is getting bigger.”
2. Teams head straight into Official Practice Racing
There were three bonus days of practice for the fleet when they touched down the curtain raiser in Perth, before Official Practice Racing took place on Friday.
This time, though, the 13 international teams will have little margin for error as they land in Auckland, with only a single day on the water. Official Practice Racing is slated for Friday with the fleet split into smaller groups before the real thing.
In Perth, Taylor Canfield and co. set the tone for a strong weekend, with P3 and P1 finishes.
3. Watch out for France’s starting strategy
Quentin Delapierre’s DS Automobiles France impressed in Event No.1, finishing third in Sunday’s Final.
Underpinning Les Bleus’ success was their start box strategy. While other teams jostled to be at the top of the line as the buzzer went, Delapierre hung back to build up momentum before steaming through right on cue.
It paid off, with the French recording the highest boat speed at the start on Day 1 (65.1 km/hr) while also setting the best mean position at Mark 1, at 2.5.
Will they look to repeat that approach in Auckland?
4. Kiwis will be out for revenge on home waters
The BONDS Flying Roos were winners of the 2025 ITM Auckland Sail Grand Prix
In 2025, it was the BONDS Flying Roos who won the inaugural ITM Auckland Sail Grand Prix – a result which is sure to have gone down well with their near neighbors!
Burling’s crew narrowly missed out on the final 12 months ago, so they will be gunning to get one over Tom Slingsby and co. in the Waitematā Harbour this weekend.
Looking ahead to the weekend’s racing, Co-CEO and wing trimmer Blair Tuke said: “It's huge for us. This is the best event of the season - we get the opportunity to race in front of our home fans. It was amazing last year, and I know this year's going to be even better.
“So, for us, even after this adversity that we've faced, to have the opportunity to come out here and race in front of home fans, we're absolutely pumped.”
You can be sure there’ll be no love lost on Valentine’s weekend between two of the most experienced crews in the fleet!
5. Watch out for the super subs!
When disaster struck in Perth as new signing Iain Jensen was injured in practice for the BONDS Flying Roos, the hosts turned to Olympic silver medalist Glenn Ashby to bail them out.
Glenn Ashby was the BONDS Flying Roos' super sub in Perth
The 48-year-old was happily working on his farm in Victoria - more than 3,000km away - when the call came through from Slingsby and he was only too happy to come to the rescue.
Ashby is back on the Aussie crew list for this weekend’s racing, officially listed as a reserve athlete. With windy conditions expected, don’t be surprised to see the backup brigade called upon at some stage!
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