5 Things you missed at the Germany Sail Grand Prix
Records were broken in Sassnitz, read all about it…
Published 08/25/2026
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.
After two races away from the podium, BONDS Flying Roos were victorious for a fifth time this season in Sassnitz’s high winds.
This Baltic Sea racecourse always seems to provide drama, and this year’s visit was no exception, delivering record-breaking speeds on Day 1 of racing action.
All this and more as we dissect five things you might have missed from the Germany Sail Grand Prix…
1. Speed record = shattered
On SailGP’s last visit to Sassnitz 12 months ago, triple-digit speeds were recorded for the first time as ROCKWOOL Racing clocked 103.93kph (64.5mph).
This record was almost broken in Auckland earlier this year, when three teams came within 2.5kph of it, but it was seriously at risk of being toppled when the weekend forecast for Sassnitz was circulated.
It wasn’t a case of whether it would be broken, but more a case of how high the new bar would be set.
Two teams broke the record and, perhaps ironically, it was ROCKWOOL Racing who were first to do so, hitting 106.6kph (66.2mph). However, this new benchmark lasted only a handful of seconds as DS Automobiles France eclipsed them with a new record speed of 107.5kph (66.8mph) moments later.
2. Harry’s debut
Race 5B was our final outing in Sassnitz, and with a place in the final out of reach, the team took the opportunity to give a debut to Harry Melges IV.
The World Champion sailor joined our roster ahead of last season’s curtain closer in Abu Dhabi, and has been in and around the group ever since.
His first time on the boat in an official SailGP race saw the team cross the line in P3 after a magnificently timed start.
Harry was strategist in our final race of the weekend
3. Tommy Hilfiger comes to race day
German-Vietnamese digital content creator Bao Tran joined Anni Scholz and Saraja Roberta Elez in Sassnitz as guests of the U.S. SailGP Team and Tommy Hilfiger. The trio toured the tech base before watching Lady Liberty in action shoreside, wearing the Tommy Hilfiger x U.S. SailGP Team Capsule Collection.
Fans could get in on the action too, with Safilo hosting a pop-up onsite featuring the latest Tommy Hilfiger eyewear collection.
4. Roos bounce back
After two events without a podium, the BONDS Flying Roos are back to winning ways – their first win in European waters for over 4.5 years.
Tom Slingsby's crew endured their worst back-to-back run of the season prior to Sassnitz, but the weekend just gone put that firmly in the rearview mirror. The Aussies led from the first mark in the winner-takes-all decider and took a fifth event win of the season, ahead of NorthStar in second and Los Gallos in third.
The Roos leap back to the podium after two rounds away
5. Los Gallos head home in form
Diego BotÃn's Los Gallos head to Spain full of confidence.
Sassnitz made it three podiums in a row for the Spanish crew, backing up event wins in Halifax and Portsmouth with third place in the Germany final – enough to keep them alone in second overall and firmly in the championship fight.
Now they get to do it in front of their own fans, with SailGP heading to Valencia for the very first time on 5-6 September.
Los Gallos will be aiming to impress in home waters next time out
Follow the U.S. SailGP Team on Instagram for exclusive content you won’t see anywhere else 📲 🇺🇸
FOLLOW NOW!
Support
Contact
Powered By
© FanCapital LLC