SailGP Perth 2026 season opener starts with a setback for Spain
SailGP Perth is the first stop of the 2026 season, and Fremantle has wasted no time showing what it can do. The venue looks like a stadium from shore, but the racecourse is raw. Short chop, steep faces, and the Fremantle Doctor combine to punish small mistakes.
Spain will not race in Perth after suffering significant damage to its F50 during practice. The team will now focus on returning for Auckland in mid February, where SailGP’s travelling show heads next.
SailGP Perth practice injuries highlight the physical toll
The build up has also produced injuries. Chris Draper from Artemis suffered facial injuries during training, with visible damage to his lips and mouth area.
Australia’s Ian Jensen injured his knee during a late practice gybe. He is being assessed, and Australia has Glenn Ashby ready as cover if Jensen cannot race.
Those incidents sit alongside wider talk in the room about hard landings, nose dives, and the kind of hits crews take when conditions turn sharp.
Artemis arrives as the new variable in SailGP Perth
Artemis enters the fleet as a fresh presence, and that matters. New teams often need time, but this one is not being treated as a slow starter. The early talk suggests a team capable of disrupting the usual order once it settles into the system.
That unknown adds pressure to the middle of the fleet, where points slip fast and recover slowly across a long season.
Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand reset after the 2025 title fight
Perth also serves as a reset for the three teams that fought out the 2025 season.
Great Britain arrives as defending champion after winning the title in December. Australia starts 2026 on home waters after finishing second overall. New Zealand opens the season from third, with a settled crew and a clear aim to turn strong moments into regatta wins.
