Let’s dive into how this intense and fiercely competitive event unfolds—because understanding the stakes makes cheering for your favourite team even more electrifying!
Daily Drama on the Water
Each race day kicks off at 14:00 GST and runs until 15:30, featuring three fleet races per day (if Mother Nature plays nice). That’s a total of six fleet races over the weekend, where the best teams claw their way to the top of the event leaderboard.
But here’s the kicker: all those points from the fleet races? They’re just the warm-up. Only the top three teams from the fleet races earn a shot at the winner-takes-all Final—a single showdown that crowns the event champion.
How Points Work: The Basics
- Fleet races: Points are earned based on your finishing position. Win all six races? That’s a perfect 60 points!
- The Final: The event champ gets 10 championship points, second place gets 9 points, and third place earns 8 points.
The teams that don’t make it to the Final don’t go home empty-handed—they get points based on their overall fleet race rankings.
Season Scoreboard: The Long Game
Each event feeds into the Championship Leaderboard, where every team’s points are added up across the season. By the end of the year, only the top three teams make it to the Season Grand Final, where the ultimate champion is crowned.
What Happens in a Tie?
- Event ties: The boat that performs best in the most recent race gets the edge.
- Season ties: Same rule—your latest performance could be the tie-breaker that decides your fate.
The “Oops” Clause: DNF and DNS
- If your boat doesn’t start (DNS) or gets disqualified, it’s 0 points.
- Start but fail to finish (DNF)? You’ll still scrape by with 1 point.
Pro tip: Each race has a 16-minute time limit. If no boat finishes but at least one reaches the designated scoring gate, the race can still be scored!
The Thrill of Unpredictability
SailGP isn’t just about speed—it’s about strategy, consistency, and seizing the moment. With every race, the leaderboard shifts, rivalries heat up, and fans are left breathless. Will the Black Foils dominate? Will a dark horse emerge? One thing’s for sure: the water’s about to boil with excitement.
Ready to dive in? The countdown is on. Grab your front-row seat for the most electrifying sailing on the planet!
