5 Things you missed at the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix
Were you paying attention in Portsmouth?
Published 07/28/2026
For the second time in as many events, Los Gallos came away with the spoils after winning the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth.
Diego Botín’s crew became the first winners of the group racing era, progressing from Group A before finishing ahead of Artemis, NorthStar and Explora Journeys Swiss in the four-team Final.
That means the Championship-leading BONDS Flying Roos missed just their second event final in 2026 as Los Gallos closed the gap at the summit.
Here’s everything you might have missed from the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix…
1. Group racing leads to fierce competition
With group racing brought in from the outset - and expected to remain in place for the rest of the 2026 Season - all eyes were on how the 13 teams would adapt.
The two groups each had five fleet races and across the 10 total races, there were 10 different winners. Plenty was made of the way the 13 teams were divided ahead of time, with SailGP making the decision based on recent form. In the end, the new format paved the way for tight, competitive racing throughout the
weekend.
As a result, there were no dead heats, with teams having to wait until Race 5 to clinch their place in Sunday’s expanded Final.
2. Swiss explore new territories
Explora Journeys Swiss have quietly been enjoying a recent hot streak.
Sébastien Schneiter’s crew made their first Final of the 2026 Season last time out in Halifax and repeated the trick on Britain’s South Coast by finishing P2 in Group B.
The Swiss went 3-2-4-4-1, securing their place by winning the final fleet race of the day following a storming start. They repeated that trick in the Final, rolling over Artemis at Mark 1, but eventually came home P4 – adding seven points to their season tally.
3. U.S. SailGP Team investor drops by
The U.S. SailGP Team boasts the most diverse investment group in the history of SailGP with star names including DJ Khaled, Lindsey Vonn, Issa Rae, DeAndre Hopkins and more part of the team.
It was the turn of GRYFFIN - whose hit record ‘Tie Me Down’ boasts more than 1 billion streams - to pull up at the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix.
He spent time with Team Principal, CEO and Co-Owner Mike Buckley in the Coach’s Booth, getting a crash course in our sport, before watching racing unfold from the Adrenaline Lounge and giving a live interview to guests.
4. High-speed racing in shifty Solent
“It’s been a while since we saw the 18-meter wing,” U.S. SailGP Team driver Taylor Canfield said after Day 2 – and he wasn’t wrong.
The Solent is infamous for its windy conditions and lived up to its reputation across the weekend. The teams used the high-speed rudders and foils as well as the 18-meter wing – the smallest option available.
As a result, 12 of 13 teams exceeded 55mph (90kph) on Day 1. Nobody went quicker than Artemis, who clocked 61.1mph (98.4kph). The U.S. SailGP Team’s top speed through the weekend was an impressive 57.1mph (91.9kph), recorded on Day 1.
5. Artemis makes it an unwanted hat-trick
It’s now three event Finals for new-boys Artemis – and each time they’ve ended up P2.
Nathan Outteridge’s crew were the Group B winners in the fleet racing and made a strong start in the Final before Los Gallos reached another level. Fourth time lucky, perhaps? That first win can’t be far away now.
At the other end of the spectrum, Emirates GBR continued the trend of misfortune for the hosts this season by placing P11.
Artemis SailGP Team has now been in three Finals in its debut SailGP season
In Auckland, the Black Foils were involved in a horrible collision with DS Automobiles France. The BONDS Flying Roos missed the Sydney Final. Mubadala Brazil had trouble getting to the start line in Rio due to mechanical faults.
Now we can add the Brits’ continued struggles on home waters.
Speaking afterward, strategist Hannah Mills said: “It’s rubbish having a shocker like this at our home event in front of a big crowd, but that is sport. We have to pick ourselves up, analyze the data, and come back stronger.”
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