Great Britain Sail Grand Prix: A Fan's Guide to Portsmouth
SailGP returns to the historic naval city of Portsmouth – here’s everything you need to know
Published 07/23/2026
SailGP is visiting the UK city of Portsmouth for the second time this weekend, for the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix.
Around 20,000 ticketed fans were in attendance across the two days in 2025, making the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix the best attended event in the Northern Hemisphere.
So whether you’re planning on being on the Solent this weekend, or following from home, here’s what makes Portsmouth special!
1. It’s the UK’s only island city
Much of the city of Portsmouth is actually located away from the United Kingdom’s mainland with the majority of the city on Portsea Island.
This means Portsmouth is the only UK city not predominantly located on the mainland. Access is possible through a series of bridges.
Contrary to popular belief, city status in the UK can be granted with having a cathedral or a university, a particular form of local government, or having a large population. A monarch instead grants it.
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2. A working naval base remains to this day
Portsmouth has played a significant role in British maritime history as home to the Royal Navy for more than 500 years – and continues to this day as one of three operating bases in the UK for His Majesty’s Royal Navy.
For a time, it was the world’s largest industrial site with ships being built, maintained and repaired at His Majesty’s Naval Base, Portsmouth (HMNB).
Today, Portsmouth is home to two-thirds of the Royal Navy surface fleet, including HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. On top of this, naval logistics, accommodation and messing can be found on site, along with personnel support functions.
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3. Visit the Historic Dockyard for a glimpse into Britain’s past
As a result of its part in Britain’s maritime history, Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard is home to some of the most iconic warships in the country’s history – vessels that are a juxtaposition to the high-tech F50s that will be on display this weekend!
Among them is HMS Victory, Admiral Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar that took place against the French and Spanish navies on October 21, 1805. Victory thwarted the French attempts to conquer Britain and also gave us Nelson’s iconic rallying cry, “England expects that every man will do his duty”.
The Tudor warship the Mary Rose was raised from the Solent in 1982. One of Britain’s first purpose-built sailing warships, she was King Henry VIII’s flagship vessel and served for 34 years before sinking in the Solent during the 1545 Battle of the Solent.
4. Spinnaker Tower and Gunwharf Quays
From the shoreline in Southsea, you’ll get a great view of two of Portsmouth’s most iconic landmarks: Gunwharf Quays and Spinnaker Tower.
The site started life as HM Gunwharf, a depot for Royal Navy ships to be fitted with weaponry. Ships would dock alongside to have their guns removed before entering the dockyard for repair and re-arming.
Fans at the 2025 Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix
However, in the 90s, the Ministry of Defence sold the land and Gunwharf Quays re-opened in 2001 as a designer shopping outlet.
What was originally intended to be Portsmouth’s Millennium project and due to be called Millennium Tower, was finally opened five years later: Spinnaker Tower.
Designed to look like a sail, the shape was chosen by a public vote to reflect the city’s maritime history. The 170m tower is visible from 23 miles in clear weather and provides a viewing platform at three levels up to 110m.
5. Portsmouth’s impressive literary past
Portsmouth has been the birthplace of and home to a number of famous faces throughout history – none more so than writer Charles Dickens.
Born on Old Commercial Road on February 7, 1812, Dickens went on to pen some of the most well-known and beloved tales in English literature, including Oliver Twist, a Christmas Carol, Great Expectations and David Copperfield.
Another famous literary figure, Arthur Conan Doyle of the Sherlock Holmes series, lived in the city while working as a GP. H.G. Wells (War of the Worlds) and Rudyard Kipling (The Jungle Book) also spent time in the city before adulthood.
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